･ Underwater Chrysalis ･
by prettiugli
Summary: While on the hunt for a precious mineral deep under the sea, Seto Kaiba unintentionally fishes out a magnificent creature with alluring violet eyes and wild hair. On the verge of bankruptcy, he is faced with a difficult multiple choice question. Should he: release the mythical creature? announce his discovery to the world? slowly study the creature? or have a lot of sex with it?
1. Chapter 1

Kaiba glared at the two dark screens hanging above him in the submarine control room, wondering if this dive was worth it.

The video feed on the left screen was dark, with occasional flashes of light red from the sensor above, and the thermal chart on the right screen was also displaying no changes.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Kaiba swept his gaze across his crew, all of them with their backs turned to him, busy with monitoring their own readings.

He glanced up at the screens above his head again, sighing.

It felt like a curse, because they always ended up empty handed after hours of exploration. He had bought the mineral rights to this specific part of the ocean because he was seeking a rare material that had washed up along the shore above them.

The air in the control room was silent with tension.  
The stress was apparent.

It was widely known to the general public that these dives, the submarine, the equipment, and the licensed crew, had cost him an arm and leg.

This was a risky venture, because his money would run out...eventually, and Kaiba swore that this expedition would come to fruition before he went bankrupt.  
He wasn't a man who took risks that failed.

Furthermore, the mineral they were hunting was so rare that scientists had not yet named it, so it was a mad race to find the pocket where more of these mysterious stones were buried.

"Descending…another 15 meters," a professor announced from his station, and the surrounding staff nodded in agreement.

Kaiba folded his arms across his chest, glaring so hard at the screens above him, his eyes began to water.  
Agonizing.  
That was one word to describe each venture.  
But they had to go slowly. What if they missed something?

Maybe this was a good time to pray.  
Kaiba wasn't a man who subscribed to a religion, but it felt like there was a greater force at work, one that didn't want him to find more of these minerals.

He had been checking the daily logs, and re-scanning the video feeds from each dive like a man possessed, desperately hoping to see something they might have missed, but there was nothing remarkable in any of their records, save for a stray whale that had blocked their sensors for two minutes yesterday while it swam past.

"Nothing," announced a woman to his left. "Sir?"

"…Can we continue? What do your sensors say?" the man asked from the other side of the room, and the professor to his right suppressed a yawn.

Kaiba's eyelid twitched. Well, they had been descending for almost five hours now, with nothing to show for it.

"We're not equipped to keep going," she said nervously, and Kaiba snapped his head up to stare at her.  
What? What was she saying?! Of course they were!  
He had the top-of-the-line equipment, and Japan's most educated marine professionals right here in this room!  
Did his millions mean nothing?

"It's too deep," another scientist spoke up from the front, switching the video feed screen to display another thermal image. "None of our cameras are picking up anything. We can crawl along here for another hour and see what we find?"

"But if not…then, up we go," the professor sighed moodily, taking off his glasses and sticking them into his pocket before he rubbed his forehead tiredly. "We're sorry, Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba let his breath out in a slow hiss, curling his fingers into his palm, trying his best not to panic.  
Fuck.  
The ascent was going to be another agonizing five and half hours of nothing.  
A whole day, gone. Wasted.  
What's more, the area of land he had reserved was not very big. They had already combed through every single inch of it and were in the process of doubling back.

He had meticulously planned a series of dives that would twice-cover the exact area he had purchased, and this was their twenty-third dive. He had been counting.

Impossible…! Had he…failed?!

Lightheaded and dizzy, Kaiba moved to sit down in his chair, and he lowered his head silently, feeling his skin burn as all eyes turned to stare at him.

No fucking way.  
He was positive that he had something here.  
His instincts were never wrong.

The low humming of the submarine's engine was deafening, and Kaiba blinked rapidly, feeling his chest constrict with pain.  
No. He was not going to have a panic attack here.  
He had not failed. There were still options.

Suddenly, a low thump echoed around them, and submarine was rocked violently to the side.

Kaiba nearly lost his balance, but he held on firmly to the armrest of his chair and gazed up at the screens, seeing a lot of jagged activity on both of the thermal sensors.  
Did something hit them? It felt like a whale had whacked them with its tail.

"Video, video!" his staff cried, and one of the screens was switched to show an infrared clump of seaweed floating messily in their view.

"Where did that come from?" The professor cried, obviously shaken. "We're too deep for that type of seaweed to thrive here!"

"It's moving!" Another staff member cried, and she turned to face Kaiba, her eyes wide. "Received a message from the sound technicians! Movement confirmed!"

"A whale?" Another woman asked curiously, "Or a shark? An endangered species perhaps?"

"Whatever the fuck it is, throw it in the tank," Kaiba growled, fuming. He was tired of rising to shore empty handed. "Will it fit?"

"Half of it is debris," the professor said, frowning at his screen, pointing at the image with the back of his pen. "You see these dots? It's probably trash. It's something caught in trash."

"Seal it all in the tank, and we'll pull it apart when we get back to the lab," Kaiba ordered, feeling a headache coming on, and he heard a chorus of "yes sir."

Suppressing an annoyed sigh, Kaiba continued to stare at the wriggling mass on the screen, seeing the metal claw reach toward the clump to slowly drag it out of sight.

"We're not authorized to fish in this area—" a man started, and Kaiba cut across him angrily. "Then we release it after detangling it from garbage. Or we eat it."

And with that, he stormed off, heading to the sound room to hear what they had managed to gather from the mysterious moving mass.

* * *

Atem was doing his best not to panic. Too many things were happening at once, and the pain in his tail was becoming unbearable.

He was bleeding, and he could see his own blood staining the water green before his eyes, and every tiny movement sent a sharp jolt of pain up his spine, so he opted to stay still.

The human contraption had pierced the end of his tail and had dragged him for several feet before sealing him off from the ocean.

It was as if a veil had been dropped over his senses and everything had been dulled.

He let out a yell and felt the water reverberate around him, but nothing happened.

There was an eerie stillness he had never felt before, and it shook him to the core.

Captured.  
He had been captured by a human!  
Did this mean all of his communication had been cut off from the outside world?!

Inside the submarine, Kaiba stared at a spiked chart of sound activity in the sealed pod, listening to the scientist explain to him that it was probably a baby whale they had caught and should probably let it go.

Atem took deep shuddering breaths, tasting his own blood in the water. It made his eyes and his nose sting.

Was the spike still in his tail? He couldn't see because he had been surrounded with this dreadful net of seaweed. What kind of terrible human would—

Before he could finish his thought, Atem felt the spike recede, and the pain dulled instantly.

Closing his eyes quickly, Atem grabbed at the seaweed net and wrapped it around his body, forcing his tail to heal quickly so he could swim away at the first chance without being seen.

The net that he had been tasked with disposing of was now his saving grace.

 _If only I had gone up later,_ Atem thought angrily to himself, curling his fingers around the seaweed.

After a moment, he shivered, realizing it would've been Mana in this situation if he had not bravely volunteered to take her place.

Everyone took turns gathering and disposing of human debris floating near their kingdom's hemisphere, and he knew Mana had a deathly fear of shallow waters after she had almost been spotted by a diver.

But this contraption was new.  
Atem prided himself on his own extensive knowledge of humans, but this sealed tube was something he had never encountered before.

Willing himself not to be afraid, he gripped the net and decided that playing dead was the best possible solution.

If he was spotted by the human that caught him, he would be faced with the misfortune of killing it…to protect his family.

He would go down in history as the second king to have ever killed a human…if he survived, and Atem wasn't sure how to feel about that.

* * *

Kaiba stepped out of the elevator and walked purposely through the lab, speaking quickly into the headset.

"Release the organism."

A hatch in the ceiling peeled back slowly and there was a pause before a loud rush of cascading water descended into the prepped tank, filling it to the brim with green, slimy water.

Wrinkling his nose, Kaiba approached the tank and heard footsteps running up behind him. The lab technician gasped at the sight.

A black mass of something disgusting was trapped in the center and the color of the water wasn't helping.

"What is that?" she cried, pressed a hand to her chest and also wrinkling her nose. "It smells….! Is this tank sealed properly? Check the seals!"

"Right away!" A man called in response from the hallway behind them, and Kaiba stared intently at the tangled mass of seaweed in the center of the tank.  
The tank _was_ sealed. He had triple-checked.

If the smell was this potent from where they were standing, it meant that the water was probably contaminated from whatever poison the distressed creature had released.

This was definitely not something whales did. Maybe this was an undiscovered species of squid?

"Purify the water," Kaiba said tersely, and he heard the order being passed around behind him. "Wait! And take samples of it before purification."

"Understood!" came the eager response, and Kaiba sighed, staring at the solid black mass one last time before turning on his heel and walking to the exit.

Since they couldn't touch the creature while the water was being purified, he could re-image and filter the feed they had obtained.

Daring to feel excited, Kaiba stepped into the elevator and watched the doors slide shut in his vision.

Atem kept his ears peeled, doing his best to catch any sounds through the barrier. He knew the name of this material. It was Glass. Probably.

If he screamed loud enough, it would shatter…or something like that, right? But then how would he escape from where he was now? He would also be seen immediately. This curtain of seaweed wasn't impenetrable.

Sighing in frustration, Atem daringly nudged the seaweed apart very slightly, attempting to get a peek at what was outside, but all he could see was his own blood in the water. Everything was too dirty.

It had also been a while now, so why had no human approached him yet?

Restless and on guard, Atem remained still and vigilant.  
This was fine. He could survive this.  
Many merpeople before him have been captured and managed to bargain for their freedom.  
But….  
Atem grit his teeth and willed himself to keep it together as terrible thoughts flooded his mind.

The human that had captured his mother several hundred years ago wouldn't let her go, which was why there was a blanket order on their entire kingdom, stating that if anyone of their own had been captured, the human was to die first.

They were following an example set by the neighboring kingdom. The royal court realized a human had captured the princess's lady-in-waiting, and by killing the human, they had managed to save her –unlike his mother, whom they had never seen again, and was presumed dead.

Now deeply frightened, Atem closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe evenly.

Maybe he should pray…to someone, anyone.  
Watasumi, Charybdis, Suijin…it didn't matter who.  
Just any God who would be on his side when it came time to kill a human.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Hi my lovely cuties! I am back with another new story! (comment below and tell me what you think!)

The tone for this one is a bit serious, maybe a little awkward? Hehehe idk, we'll see where it takes us, okay? Thank you for giving this story a chance!

*super mega ultra disclaimer: I know literally zip-nada about marine biology. (wishes I had a biology professor -who isn't google-chan- at my side who I could ask to help confirm my facts.)

Edited by: Setokaibaes

Love,  
Ugli

 _Psst: please consider supporting me with some spare change, even though I publish all chapters fully edited for your enjoyment, I would be so grateful if you wanted to donate something to help motivate me!_

 _HAPPY NEW YEAR!_


	2. Chapter 2

Kaiba stood in front of the tank, staring at the mass of floating seaweed, and at the water which was still tinted an unearthly brownish-green.

What the fuck was in this water? They had been purifying for almost three days now. He was getting impatient.

"Should we release a cleansing agent in the water? It would help disperse the organic matter faster," his assistant said quietly, almost as if reading his mind. "Or do you want to continue with the filtration process?"

"Let me think about it," Kaiba growled, turning and walking to his own station to flip his laptop open. He needed to make sure that the thing inside was actually alive first.

"Then I'll come back," she said quietly, and her heels clicked away softly.

Kaiba flipped the lights on and angled them towards the tank, trying to catch a glimpse of what had been caught in the seaweed.

Atem was asleep when a searing white light flooded his senses and he opened his eyes a tiny crack, blinded by the sudden brightness.

Annoyed, he turned over and continued sleeping.  
It had been three nights, and no human had come to bother him. No attempts of communication had been made either, so this light was not threatening at all.

Kaiba adjusted the brightness of the lights from his laptop and decided he would stick a camera into the water.

He attached the camera onto the robotic arm hugging the side of the tank and maneuvered the lever with precision, lowering it into the water carefully.

Atem pricked his ears up when he heard something enter the water above him, and he opened his eyes, horrified to discover that it was a camera.

Panicking, he flipped himself upside down and lashed out at it with the end of his tail, breaking the camera off the metal arm and watching it sink rapidly to the floor beneath him.

Crisis averted.

Now what else was the human going to throw at him? Probably another camera. This human was stupid.

Wrapping the seaweed tighter around his body, Atem wrinkled his nose, hating the way everything smelled. The scent of his blood combined with the stale stench of his own waste was making him sick.

Being trapped in this tiny room, floating in his own waste and blood with nothing but a piece of garbage as defense was a special kind of torture indeed.

If he made it out alive, he definitely had a story to tell.

Kaiba cursed silently when he saw the camera break off the arm, and he rushed back to the computer to re-play the feed.

On his screen, the camera dipped beneath the surface of the water, slipping through a layer of seaweed before something gold glinted back at him, and the feed went dark.

Swallowing thickly, Kaiba re-played it again and again several more times, his heart racing excitedly in his chest. Maybe…just maybe, the mineral was difficult to find because it grew out of a living thing!

Dashing back to the robotic arm, he attached another camera to it and decided to wait before lowering it.

Atem was ready for it this time.  
He saw only one shadow through the curtain of seaweed, and tensed. One human. Should he be thankful that there was only one human doing this to him?

He heard the camera enter the water again, and he glanced directly upwards, not seeing it.

Kaiba carefully circled the arm around the mass of seaweed, being sure not to disturb the creature head-on this time.  
He could quietly insert it in from the side.

Now on full alert, Atem heightened his senses and listened for the high electronic whine.  
It was coming somewhere from his left.  
Ah…this human wasn't so stupid after all. It was trying to sneak in.

 _Try me,_ Atem fumed, seeing a glint of silver through the curtain of seaweed, and he held his breath, waiting patiently.

The metal arm inched closer slowly, centimeter by centimeter, and Atem was getting more and more furious by the second.

He floated off to the side, making sure to let the arm come all the way into his seaweed blanket before he grabbed at it and gave it a vicious yank.

The camera did not budge from the metal arm. It stayed stuck.

Growling to himself, Atem gave it another hard jerk, attempting to rip it off the arm, but it seemed the camera had been attached to it in a different way this time.

Thoroughly fed up, Atem tore a piece of seaweed off with his teeth and tied it around the lens in a pretty knot, and he smirked triumphantly.

Kaiba saw the robotic arm shaking, but it seemed to have hit the center of the seaweed mass.

He glanced over at his laptop, seeing nothing but darkness.  
No? Further then.

He moved the arm forward continuously, making sure to go slow for fear he might hurt or scare the creature. After a moment, Kaiba was expecting to bump the thing in the middle, but nothing happened.

So he kept pushing the lever forward, and to his immense surprise, the camera passed right through the center of the mass and came out the other side.

Tilting his head in confusion, Kaiba circled the tank and stared at the camera with incredulous horror.

It had been forcefully tilted upwards, and seaweed had been wrapped around its entire body with eerie precision. What's more, the lens was sporting a cheeky seaweed bow.

Blinking rapidly, fear shot through Kaiba quickly when realized he realized he was dealing with an intelligent creature. One that could tie…seaweed bows?!

Atem bit back a gasp when he caught a glimpse of the human through a strip of seaweed, and he quickly moved the water so that the seaweed once again covered his whole body.

Feeling dangerously naked now, Atem glanced down repeatedly, making sure the tips of his tail were concealed.

He felt the water ripple and the metal arm was removed.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Atem closed his eyes tightly, hating everything.  
So this was how it was going to be. Poked and prodded at until…what?  
Maybe this human was just as scared as he was.  
Would the camera come again?

Kaiba growled angrily as his fingers slipped on the seaweed surrounding the camera, and he decided he needed scissors or a knife.

What the fuck kind of squid tied knots like this?

He stormed off to get scissors, and Atem held his breath, daring himself to feel triumphant.

It sounded like the human was frustrated. He had won.

Smirking to himself, he tucked his arms behind his head and stretched out, feeling stiff. He had been curling himself up into a ball so much, his stomach felt numb.

Atem froze when he heard footsteps returning, and he grit his teeth. Damn! This human was persistent.

Kaiba sliced the seaweed away from the camera and re-adjusted it on the robotic arm with renewed determination. This creature was pissing him off now.

He raised the arm quickly and hovered it above the water, staring intently at the black mass in the center of the tank, wondering if he could be seen.

Atem could only see the bottoms of the human's feet, and he gazed upwards, hating the blurry image of the metal arm hovering over him.

It began to lower into the water slowly, and Atem glared at it spitefully, keeping it in his sight.

It seemed the human was trying the same tactic as before, slowly inching the camera one agonizing centimeter at a time through the seaweed on his left.

Suddenly, the metal arm shot forward with surprising speed, and Atem was caught off guard. He grit his teeth and cursed at it, covering the lens with his palm and forcing the camera at an upwards angle before tying another piece of seaweed over the lens, not bothering to make the knot pretty this time.

He wanted to be left alone, or better yet, released.  
How could he communicate this to the camera without being seen?

Kaiba saw the robotic arm shaking, and he lifted the camera out of the water, unsurprised to see that seaweed had once again been tied around the lens, but in a knot this time.

He quickly turned to his laptop and re-played the feed.

The camera entered the water and slowly penetrated the seaweed curtain. In the murky darkness, something that looked like a human hand shot out and slapped the camera away before the image went dark again.

Shaking from head to toe, Kaiba slowed the footage down and froze it at a certain frame where the blurry hand was coming towards the camera.

Unmistakable.  
It was a human hand. It had five fingers.

Breaking out into a cold sweat, Kaiba ran to an empty station and switched on the thermal sensors surrounding the tank.

To his supreme amazement, a human-like form was floating in the middle of all the seaweed.

Growing weak all over, Kaiba sat down in the nearest chair and stared at the red and yellow blob on the screen. There was a very distinct head…shoulders…arms and torso, and from the hips downwards, there was oblong form trapping the legs together in the shape of a fin.

A…mermaid?!

Palming his face in dread, Kaiba wondered if he was hallucinating from stress or sleep deprivation.

He gazed at the tank listlessly, the cogs in his mind turning quickly before something clicked.

They had been purifying this water for three days now, using a slow, delicate process to avoid disturbing the environment of water too suddenly. But if the thing inside was half-human, that meant that the water was still dirty…because of…waste.

Nausea clawed its way up his throat and Kaiba rose unsteadily to his feet.

He bent over another station and carefully changed the purification level of the tank's water.

Atem heard a low hiss and he tensed, seeing a series of fins appearing on the floor which were beginning to suck water out from beneath him.

Terrified, he tucked his tail in and grabbed ahold of as much seaweed as he could, preventing them from being sucked down into the black slits.  
The human was draining the water?!

Kaiba watched the tank from afar, seeing the curtain of seaweed moving unnaturally upwards, and he bit back a wry smirk. The mer-thing was probably pulling the seaweed up to keep it from being caught in the vents.

Letting out a tense sigh, Kaiba exited the lab and decided he would come back after taking a nap.

If he was still hallucinating a mermaid in the tank after he woke up, then it was real, and it was something he would have to deal with.  
If the tank contained a dead specimen because it had been killed after a vigorous purification, Kaiba decided that that was better than discovering he had netted a fucking mermaid.  
Because mermaids didn't exist.  
They were fucking mythical creatures, and he was a man of science, not fairy tales.

Atem took deep gasping breaths, gratefully filling his lungs with crisp water, and he felt his head spin dangerously. Oh praise the Gods!

Wait.

Atem blinked and gripped the seaweed tighter, his heart thundering in his chest.  
Somehow…after having pushed away three cameras, his water was being changed to suit his needs.  
Was it possible that…the human had seen him?  
Impossible, right?  
How would the human know exactly what he needed?

Breathing lightly, Atem began to feel lightheaded, and his nose stung terribly.

Oh no…this was…fresh water!

 _I'm going to die,_ Atem thought weakly, wondering if he was going to use the last of his healing strength to stay alive in fresh water. He had already used most of it to fix his tail, and he hadn't eaten anything in days.  
Where was the energy going to come from?

Deciding that being seen was better than being forced to sit in fresh water for hours, Atem surged forward through the seaweed and slapped his palms against the glass. To his absolute horror, the room he was staring at was empty.

The human, or humans, had left!

Frantic, Atem dove down to the very bottom where the salt water was being sucked out through the vents and took two large breaths before swimming his way to the very top of the tank where the fresh water was being poured in, and he wondered if he could stuff the seaweed into the pipe to keep the water from coming out.

It was worth a shot.

Giving his tail a powerful swirl, Atem gathered all the seaweed up in his arms and swam upwards towards the rushing water.

Using all of his strength, he balled the seaweed up and attempted to clog the pipe, but the water cascading down was too powerful, and he was weak. It was like he was swimming up against a vicious current, and on his freshly-healed tail no less.

His arms weakening terribly, Atem grit his teeth, his eyes watering from the assault of fresh water. It was getting harder to breathe, and there was no real air at the top of the sealed tank.

 _Why?_ Atem cried to himself. _What did I do to deserve this? I will not die here!_

He lunged upwards in one final attempt, but the seaweed was too slippery and the water was relentlessly pouring down on him.

Fading in and out of consciousness, Atem realized he going to pass out.

Darkness crept in through the corners of his vision before enveloping him completely, and his arms went limp at his sides.

* * *

Kaiba sat up slowly and stretched, silencing his buzzing phone alarm and catching a glimpse of the time on the screen.

3:11 AM.

The purification should have been completed by now.

He pushed the blanket off of himself and hurried to the elevator, feeling giddy with a mixture of dread and excitement.

The metal doors slid open and Kaiba rushed towards the tank, almost slipping in his haste at the sight floating before him.

It was a man. A beautiful man with spiky tri-colored hair, floating amidst stray strands of seaweed, wearing a golden crown, a neckplate covered in glittering jewels, and various golden armbands.

But the most striking thing about him was the tail.  
It was long, thick, and a dull red color.

Awestruck, Kaiba daringly stepped closer, wondering if the man faking sleep.

He raked his gaze up and down the merman's form, taking in his muscular chest, the toned arms…and the fingertips that were slowly turning blue.

Wait.

Kaiba blinked, his heart stopping in his chest.

Oh shit.

Was it…dead?!

He rushed to push the emergency button in order to drain the tank before running to check the water properties on his laptop. Tapping the screen impatiently, Kaiba was horrified to discover that he had accidentally filled the tank with fresh water.

Now fully panicking, he turned his gaze back to the tank, seeing thick strands of seaweed hanging from the pipe in the ceiling.

Oh god…oh fuck.  
The merman had clearly tried to stuff the seaweed into the pipe to prevent the fresh water from coming in, but had failed and lost consciousness.  
Oh shit.  
Kaiba gripped his hair in distress, seeing the body of the merman flop eerily against the glass.

He had killed it!

Shit. Shit. Shit.

The water drained completely and Kaiba stared nervously at the lifeless form before he decided to fill the tank with salt water again. And he would draw water directly from the ocean. Time was of the essence right now, so he wasn't going to fiddle around with different salt levels.

Water came cascading down from above, and Kaiba swallowed dryly, standing beside the glass, knocking on it nervously.

He decided to keep the tank filled only a third of the way, leaving the merman half-submerged and face down in the water.

Kaiba shut the pipe and held his breath, unable to tear his eyes away from the glittering earrings the merman was wearing.

If he wasn't mistaken…the stones in his jewelry were exactly what he needed.

One test to make sure. But was snatching jewelry off an unconscious body considered theft?

Also, had he just committed murder?!

Distressed, Kaiba slipped his phone out and sent an email to his staff, giving them the next three days off. He didn't need people coming in to see this.  
If this thing was dead, he needed to dispose of it privately.  
If this thing was still alive…well, he was fucked either way.

* * *

Atem slowly opened his eyes and a headache pounded at his temples.

Sunlight streamed in from the small square above him, and he turned his head to the side, realizing he was elbow-deep in water. Salt water. He dove his head down into it, taking deep shuddering breaths.

By some miracle, he was alive.

Coughing lightly, Atem felt his lungs ache, and he managed to sit up.

His heart skipped several frantic beats in his chest when he saw one human sitting very close to the glass.

Atem bared his fangs in a hostile grimace and tried his best to calm down. Showing the fact that he was scared wasn't going to solve his problem.

The human did not move, and Atem frowned.

His eyes were closed. Asleep?

Daring to move closer, Atem pressed his nose up against the glass, his breath catching in his throat when he realized…this human was beautiful. He was male, with light brown hair, and pale skin. His features were sharp, and his lips looked almost like a woman's.

Backing away slowly, Atem glanced up, seeing miles of tank above him, and the residual strands of seaweed that were still hanging from the pipe.  
So this human was intelligent. He saw the seaweed and put two and two together.

Splashing the water angrily with his tail, Atem padded his hands up and down the glass. There was no way out. What, was he going to be kept here like an animal?

Were there going to be other humans? Cameras? He no longer had the protection of the murky water and the seaweed.

Kaiba heard the merman splashing around and he decided to keep his eyes closed until he had calmed down. Good, he was awake.

Now what?

He held his breath and daringly opened one eye slowly, seeing the edge of a sparkling red tail with thin, golden veins, and his blood ran cold.  
The color of the tail looked different now. It looked alive.

Atem knocked on the glass three times after seeing the human's eyelids flutter, and he lowered his arm quickly, wondering why he wanted to wake the man. And how would they communicate?

What genus of human was this man?  
Atem frantically tried to recall what he had learned in his studies. Was this an Asian Human? Or a European Human? Did this man speak English? Japanese?

Atem decided to try.

"Wake up," he said tentatively, using Japanese first, and to his great surprise, the man raised his head and looked him straight in the eye.

It was as if an arrow had been shot through Atem's chest. The man's piercing blue eyes seared right through him, slowing his heart down to a slow, painful pound.

Handsome. A human with the eyes the color of the sea.

Blinking rapidly, Atem looked away, angry with himself. He knew beautiful humans existed, but this was his first time seeing one up close.

Kaiba opened and closed his mouth silently, unable to speak after being shocked into silence.

It…talked! This thing was definitely alive, and he was not hallucinating, because he had just woken up from a second nap.

"Did you…Did you almost…" Kaiba composed himself and rose to his feet, wondering how formal he ought to be. "You almost died."

"Thanks to you," the merman shot back with a venomous glare, his angular eyes flashing dangerously, and Kaiba felt his stomach twist strangely.

Right. It could talk, and respond intelligently. Time to make his demands.

"Give me your earrings," Kaiba said stiffly, wondering if he should've asked more politely. "And I'll give you something you need."

Atem sat up straighter, attempting to remain composed even though he was only sitting in a few inches of water like a dead fish. This man…however attractive, spoke foul words and was only after his jewelry! Humans were greedy!

But…his mother's earrings for the price of freedom? A good trade.

"Deal," Atem said readily, unable to look the man in the eye, so he decided to focus on his nose instead. "I give them to you after you release me back into the ocean."

"No deal," Kaiba answered coldly, shoving his hand into his pocket and curling his fingers into a tight fist. "You give me the earrings, and you get more water."

Atem ground his teeth angrily, unable to believe his own ears. What was this?! Was he being denied a basic need…for the jewelry?

"How dare you," Atem seethed, losing his temper quickly. "That's as if I'm asking for a lock of your hair, while I deprive you of oxygen."

"You look like you can breathe just fine," Kaiba answered mildly, thinking he could run enough tests on this merman to know just what he needed to survive. He was half-submerged for now, and if he changed the water every few hours, it should be fine.  
Literally just like taking care of a goldfish.

"Are you going to wear my earrings?" Atem asked nastily, and he saw a muscle jump in the man's cheek. Jackpot. He had made the man angry.

"I'm going to melt them down and use them to make revolutionary strides in technology," Kaiba answered truthfully, deciding to keep his anger in check.  
He held the power in this situation. This mer-thing was just taunting him.

"Melt them?!" Atem cried, his stomach curling with disgust and dread. "These were my mother's!" At least if the human was going to wear them, he'd feel better about giving them up.

"How about one of my rings instead?" Atem suggested cleverly, holding up his middle finger in a rude gesture he had learned from a young American boatman, and he saw the man react with a laugh that made his hair stand on end.

Kaiba found that he couldn't stop laughing, and he gripped his sides, wondering why this was so funny. This guy was quite entertaining, tail and freaky three-colored hair aside.

"I'm being serious," Atem said uncertainly, wondering if this human was demented. Who laughed after being insulted?

"Fine," Kaiba said, straightening up fully, smirking. "Can you tell me where I can find more of those stones? It's the black one…with the blue center."

Atem frowned and realized the human was only after one particular stone. The most expensive and rare one out of them all. What's more, he recalled the largest one of these stone had been stolen from the kingdom's treasury several moon cycles ago.  
Had humans somehow managed to get their hands on this stone?  
Was it going to be viciously hunted now, like gold and diamonds?  
But at least gold and diamonds were worthless.  
This stone was not.

"Would you give me my freedom in exchange for one of those stones?" Atem asked genuinely, thinking that Mahad would send up the whole treasury just for his freedom…and then murder this man to take the treasury back.

"No," Kaiba answered simply, knowing he was being played. "I need more than one, and for a long period of time. Tell me where to dig, and we have a deal."

"Dig?" Atem frowned, wondering why the human thought that this stone came from the sand. "A sea demon lays these stones. You can't dig for it. You hunt for them."

Kaiba felt another laugh clawing its way up his chest and he swallowed it forcefully, feeling the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. A sea demon. Priceless. If this was a game show, he would've won the prize for most ridiculous answer.

"You don't believe me, but it's true," Atem said plainly, crossing his arms firmly and looking away, attempting to sound bored and less frightened. "I've just divulged a secret and told you where to get the stones. Release me."

If he killed his human right before he was released, everything he told him now would be erased. It was fine telling this human such things.

"No you fucking didn't," Kaiba retaliated, leaning against the glass and doing his best not to stare at the merman's smooth chest. "You just told me it came from a fucking demon. Where is the demon's…lair?"

"Don't know. I'm not a hunter." Atem said plainly, and Kaiba bit his tongue lightly, watching the merman examine his extremely long claws which looked dangerously sharp. "If you won't release me, at least give me more water and put me in a shallow pool. I don't want to be fully submerged."

 _So I can escape_ , Atem thought nervously, and he saw the man shake his head and smirk handsomely.

"You can have shallow water, and I'll lower the glass," Kaiba replied, moving to press a button along the wall, and Atem's eyes followed him like hawk.

A mechanical whirring filled the room and the glass began to sink into the ground. Atem watched, astounded.

He was up against a very dangerous foe. This man had tools at his disposal. Tools that could easily kill him, like the pipe with water above his head.

Suddenly realizing how helpless he was, Atem couldn't help but think that this man already knew of the merpeople's existence, and his glass cage was almost too well designed.

"You don't intend to let me go!" Atem cried, pressing his palms against the glass which was still sliding downwards. "You want to keep me here forever! Why? Are you going to let other people come in and see me? Will you charge them money? You want money?"

Atem knew that humans usually lived by three basic concepts: money, love, and food.

Not necessarily in that order.  
This man wasn't after love or food, because he asked for earrings.  
It was money! It had to be that.

To his horror, the man let out another chilling laugh and pressed the button on the wall to make the glass stop moving downwards.

"I don't need money," Kaiba sneered, feeling a pit of dread swirling low in his chest. "I need the material to make my technology better."

To make more money.  
Because all of this sea exploration had led him to nothing but a talking fish in a tank and impending bankruptcy.

"You want to make the technology to make your money." Atem said cleverly, catching on quickly. "You have a lot of money, I can see that already, but you need more. You can have gold instead. It sells much faster. You don't want the stones. No one knows what it is."

 _Cute,_ Kaiba thought angrily, biting the inside of his cheek tightly before responding, "I want it _because_ no one knows what it is. I've lowered the glass, so I've done my half of the bargain. Now give me one of your earrings."

Atem blinked rapidly and shook his head. If it wasn't for anything other than his freedom, he would not relinquish his mother's earrings.

"You can have my crown," Atem said desperately, lifting it off his head and holding it out with shaking arms. "There are three stones you can use in this, as opposed to the one in the earrings."

"I see," Kaiba smiled wryly, "The earrings have sentimental value. You'd rather give me something more valuable."

Atem swallowed tightly and gripped his crown, wondering if he could slit this annoying man's throat with one swipe if he got close enough. Humans bled red blood, just like all mammals in the sea, and it was messy.  
But Atem vowed he would do anything for his freedom.

"Okay, I'd like to think I'm fair," Kaiba said coldly, eyeing the three round stones sitting embedded at the edge of the crown, and their icy blue cores sparkled back at him enticingly. "You give me three stones, so I'll give you water, food…and?"

"Freedom," Atem said through clenched teeth, deciding he could wait it out a bit longer before breaking free.

"We'll talk about it," Kaiba replied with as much warmth as he could muster, and he walked towards the buttons on the wall again and moved the robotic arm over the glass edge of the tank.

There was no fucking way he was getting within arm's reach of this talking monster with a man's body and fish's tail. It had claws and fangs, features clearly meant to hurt flesh.

Atem narrowed his eyes at the man and then at the metal arm being lowered into the tank. Damn. This man was too smart.

He glared at the man for a long moment before gently hooking his crown onto the metal arm and watching it rise over the edge of the glass barrier.  
Fine. He would bide his time.

"Tell me your name," Atem demanded, thumping a fist against the glass and he heard the man laugh maniacally again.

"Is that your third request? My name?" Kaiba asked, his eyes widening with glee, and his chest tightened strangely again at the way the merman was glaring at him.

"My water needs to be cycled through every hour. I don't eat kelp or sea urchin, and yes," Atem said in a rush, thinking he would include as many demands as possible to help him stay alive.

After all, the fresh water incident had almost killed him, and it seemed to have been an honest mistake.  
This human wanted him very much alive.

"What's wrong with sea urchin?" Kaiba wondered out loud, thinking that he enjoyed a good cold marinated sea urchin, and he received a distasteful hiss in response.

"It's food for peasants," Atem replied smugly, knowing that this statement would strike a nerve in the human. "You mortals would eat the dirt beneath your feet if you could."

"Ten plates of sea urchin for tomorrow's dinner it is," Kaiba answered blithely, giving the merman a wave over his shoulder while he walked to the exit. "My name is Seto Kaiba."

"Good riddance," Atem said bluntly, rolling his eyes."Human Seto Kaiba."

* * *

 **Author's note:**

The reveal of the majestic merman!  
Kaiba is behaving surprisingly normal (due to his denial)  
atem just wants out! Someone help him!

edited by: setokaibaes

btw! i'm now taking cummissions/requests on my (check AO3, if you're reading on this site)

for 500 -1,000 word one-shots to help my bunny next month for his mouth (surgery) (where a nasty abscess has been living and needs to be extracted soon)  
3  
example prompt: kaiba and yami handcuffed together for 24 hours

please hmu! every little bit helps (hugs)

-Ugli


	3. Chapter 3

Kaiba paced his office nervously, doing his best to avoid looking at the golden crown sitting atop his desk which was gleaming threateningly at him.

The stones were lodged tightly in the gold. The merman had called it a crown, and the memory made his stomach churn.  
He would have to melt the surrounding gold to get to the stone.

But something felt off about plucking the stones from it, and Kaiba wondered if it would bring bad luck.

Sighing, he sat down behind his desk and picked the crown up gingerly, turning it in the light, admiring the thin engraving along the entire rim.

Maybe he could call a jeweler and see what they could do about removing the stones for him without damaging the crown.

He heard a knock at the door and Mokuba's voice drifted through it, "Seto? Are you busy?"

"Yes, Mokuba," Kaiba replied, palming his face tiredly. "Come back later."

"Okay," Mokuba replied quietly, and he backed away slowly from the door, feeling a rush of resentment towards his older brother.

Seto had been holing himself up in the lab for the past few months, and it was starting to get on his nerves. At least Seto would resurface after several weeks, but this time, it seemed different.

Mokuba had even moved some of his stuff from his room into the spare bunk at the lab to be closer to Seto, hoping to catch more glimpses of his older brother, and it was alarming to see him grow more pale and sallow as the months dragged on.

What's more, the media was tearing their company apart, criticizing them for not being "environmentally conscious" due to Seto's newest venture. It became so prevalent that Mokuba had to set up a filter for his own name in his own computer to avoid seeing negative news about himself.

Today was also a work day, but not a soul was in sight.

Grumbling to himself, Mokuba stalked over to the elevator and slapped his palm against the sensor, watching the door slide open quickly before he stepped in.

Maybe if he stuck his nose into the lab's business, he could get an idea of what they were doing, and find a way to help Seto.

* * *

Atem was sitting in the far back of the tank, actively avoiding the sunlight coming in through the tiny square in the ceiling. His skin was terribly dry after his unwelcome soak in fresh water and the sun wasn't helping.

He curled his tail underneath himself, feeling the water grow unbearably warm.

This was another special hell in itself, and Atem was beginning to have an inkling of how his mother may have perished.

Was the human doing this on purpose? Or was he unaware that the sun would slowly roast him alive, just like it would with any other human?

He heard footsteps approaching and froze, seeing another person emerge from the sliding door and stand at the far end of the room, gaping at him.

 _Another one!_ Atem's blood ran cold with dread as he wondered if he had it in himself to kill two humans during his escape.

Mokuba stayed rooted to the spot with shock, staring at the man trapped behind the glass.  
What the actual heck?!  
Was Seto keeping someone prisoner down here?!

He ran forward and almost stumbled on his own feet before reaching the glass, pressing his palms against it and peering at the figure sitting curled in the back.

It was a man, with dark skin and wonderfully wild hair that had three different colors. His eyes were large and angular, and there was a strange fire in his pupils while they stared at each other silently for a long moment.

Mokuba opened and closed his mouth, discovering that his voice had died in his throat.

Atem assessed the human carefully, taking in his long black hair, small stature, large grey eyes and small hands. A child.  
A child very close to growth into a full human.

Children were more malleable than adult humans. Perhaps this child could help him.

"I'm dying," Atem said plainly, seeing the child's eyes widen in fear, and a trickle of hope ran through his chest. "My skin is drying out from the sun."

Mokuba obeyed without question, and he ran to slam his palm against the scanner on the wall, tapping the screen frantically, searching for the button that would close the hatch in the ceiling.

Pleased, Atem watched a welcome shadow creep over the large patch of sunlight, and he instantly felt cooler.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he risked a smile at the boy, "Thank you."

Still unable to speak, Mokuba shrugged his shoulders awkwardly, wondering how long this guy had been down here. He was still sitting weirdly in the back, not moving.

Atem wasted no time raining questions down on the boy.

"Could you show me the way back to the ocean? You can open doors? Are strong enough to carry me? I can lend you my strength."

Mokuba blinked, slowly finding his voice, and when he spoke, he thought he sounded oddly squeaky. "A way back…to the ocean?"

"Yes, I live there," Atem replied irritably, wondering if this child was going to react with fear or awe after seeing his tail. It was dark enough in the far corner that his lower half was still conveniently concealed under the water which had once again turned a murky brown.  
The human Seto Kaiba had neglected to cycle through the water through since he had left earlier, and Atem once again found himself humiliated, sitting in a pool of his own eliminations.

"What…then what are you doing here?" Mokuba asked quietly, knowing that Seto always had a good reason for his actions and was never unnecessarily cruel…not that he knew of.

But this was his first time discovering a prisoner in the lab. Mokuba wasn't sure what to think of his older brother anymore.

"My tail was pierced with a metal arm."

Atem spoke quickly, doing his best to elicit sympathy from the child. "It dragged me into a sealed tank, so here I am now. Please release me before the man with blue eyes finds out."

"The man with blue eyes," Mokuba repeated, his suspicion rising along with his curiosity. "The owner of this place? Seto Kaiba?" He had to make sure this spiky-haired guy was talking about his Seto, and not another scientist with blue eyes.

"Yes!" Atem nodded stiffly, dread curling low in his stomach when he saw the child's face darken. Perhaps this child looked up to that man. "Please help me."

"But why did Seto put you in here?" Mokuba continued, stepping forward and eying the surface of the water cautiously, thinking he had heard the man say 'tail'. "Because you have a tail?"

Atem fell silent, realizing that this child would not be easily fooled.

"You want to see my tail?" Atem asked hopefully, running his tongue along the tops of his teeth and quickly retracting his fangs. "I'm an ocean fairy and I can grant you a wish…if you release me."

He smiled the warmest smile to he could muster, and to his rising horror, the child let out a curling laugh that made his hair stand on end.

This behavior was strangely…familiar.

"An _ocean fairy_?" Mokuba jeered, feeling his shoulder shake with residual mirth. "Do you honestly think I'm six years old? I don't believe that story for a minute. Try again. What bad thing did you do that made Seto lock you in here?"

Atem stared blankly at the child, growing numb all over.

So it was a matter of believing?

He quickly shifted himself and flipped the end of his tail carelessly out of the dirty water, seeing the child gasp and stagger back with shock.  
Ah good. Freedom was close.

"Tell me your wish," Atem said, his throat slowly closing up at the lie _. And I won't kill you,_ he finished privately in his mind, watching the child narrow his eyes at him.

 _A mermaid!_ Mokuba shook all over, unable to take his next breath. _No, a mer_ man _!_

Seto had caught…a mythical creature! Was this real? Was this a dream?

It all made sense now! This creature was the reason why Seto was so torn up.  
He had a pretty good idea why Seto was going on so many dives in the same area. His brother was trying to find the dwelling of these creatures!

"I'll release you," Mokuba said firmly, and he saw the creature's face light up. "If you draw me a map of how to get to your home."

Atem's stomach sank so violently, he felt nauseous. This child was even worse than Seto Kaiba!

"Why would you want that?" Atem asked weakly, managing another thin smile. "You want a wish, don't you? You can ask for anything you want! Money? Fame? …A female companion perhaps?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes, understanding that this merman had probably made the same bargain with Seto and had gotten nowhere.

"Fame sucks, and I have money," Mokuba replied plainly, tilting his head at the merman after folding his arms across his chest. "I can find my own girlfriend, thanks. Give me something from your world."

 _My world?_ Atem thought, terror stricken.  
These humans were smarter than any humans he had ever encountered.  
They didn't want basic pleasures from their world.  
They sought the pleasures from other realms.  
How incredibly…greedy and disgusting.

"I—" Atem began but was cut off by a furious shout coming from the sliding doors at the far end of the room.

"MOKUBA!"

Dread climbed its way up his chest when he saw Seto Kaiba striding towards the child, his handsome features twisted in anger.

"Stay away from it! It's dangerous!"

Atem watched as the child was yanked away by the arm and understanding slowly began to dawn on him.

This child…was Seto Kaiba's kin. And his name was Mokuba.

He had also been called an 'it', and the phrase rattled painfully around in his mind.

"I'm dying!" Atem shouted hoarsely through the glass, pounding on it furiously as he watched the sliding doors shut with a quiet whoosh, leaving him alone in the room once more.

His stomach grumbled painfully and he sagged heavily against the glass, growing angrier by the second.  
This behavior was reminding him exactly why he hated humans.

Fine. If the humans were going to leave him here to rot, he would show them exactly how dangerous he could be.

He was done playing nice.

Growling, Atem raised his arm and extended his claws, giving the glass a vicious swipe and feeling his fingertips sting with pain. The result was a deep, grooved scratch, and the glass remained intact.

Covering his ears, Atem took a deep breath and slowly gathered all of his strength before letting out a piercing shriek, feeling the water reverberate dangerously beneath him while the walls of his enclosure began to crack, followed by the glass on all the electronic screens in the room popping and exploding at once.

Above, the Kaiba brothers were thrown off guard as all the screens in the room began to shatter violently.

Kaiba threw Mokuba to the ground protectively, shielding his head.

"Cover your ears!" Kaiba shouted over the deafening screech, and Mokuba nodded fearfully, his hands already clapped over his ears.

Breathless, Atem felt his scream linger horribly in the air.  
Maybe…if he was lucky enough, someone in his family would've heard him.

A spiderweb of cracks decorated the entire enclosure, and Atem felt a surge of triumph. Finally.

He inched back on his elbows and gave the barrier a ferocious whip with his tail and shards of broken glass cascaded down around him like magnificent rain.

Now…he would bravely crawl through this debris to his freedom. It would be painful, but worth it.

Getting shakily to his feet, Kaiba helped Mokuba up and drew his little brother into a tight hug, feeling him tremble in his arms.

"Don't ever go down there again," Kaiba said hoarsely, his ears throbbing with pain, the sound ringing horribly in the air. "Do you understand?"

Mokuba nodded silently, on the verge of tears and at a complete loss for words.

Beneath them, Atem was blowing furiously at the glass, trying to clear a path for himself without dragging his tail over the shards.

His palms were already bleeding from tiny pinpricks he had received from placing his hands down at his sides, and he cursed, thinking he had trapped himself in another difficult situation.

The sliding doors opened, and Atem bared his fangs instantly, glaring hatefully at the human named Seto Kaiba, who was standing at the far end of the room, looking generally unshaken.

The glass crunched beneath Kaiba's feet as he walked closer through the mess towards the collapsed tank, and his hair began to stand on end.

The creature was strangely beautiful even though it was helpless, surrounded by a circle snowy glass with its tail curled into its chest, fangs bared and claws raised.

Shallow water puddled around his feet and Kaiba stood his ground, standing an arm's length away from the monster.

"If you keep breaking every enclosure I put you in, I'll change the material, and you won't like it," Kaiba said firmly, willing his voice not to shake. "I'm going to put you in a new one now. Can we get along?"

" _No_ ," Atem hissed, leering angrily up at the human, now realizing he was extremely tall. "I will shatter every cage you put me in because I belong in the sea."

"Then we will do this back and forth until one of us gets tired," Kaiba said coldly, folding his arms across his chest, willing his heart to calm down. The creature's fangs were thin and long, like a snake's, and he briefly wondered if they were venomous.

Atem gazed apprehensively up at the human, hating every handsome feature on his face. Vile…disgusting creature.  
Fine. If the human wanted to keep him caged, comfort was a top priority.

"You were killing me," Atem said plainly, folding his arms across his chest. "The water is not fresh, and the sun was burning me…" He held up his arm for the human to see that the red patch was beginning to shed a flaky grey film.

There was no energy left in his body to spare for healing now. Having been deprived of food for four days and three nights, everything was taking a toll on him.

Kaiba blinked rapidly, understanding that this creature was more sensitive that he had originally thought.

"…and I'm starving," Atem growled, curling and uncurling his fists. "At least make my enclosure livable, you cruel piece of shit."

 _That I am_ , Kaiba thought mildly, giving the creature an appraising look.

"I will help you," Kaiba said, and he heard the creature hiss at him.

"You are not _helping_ me," Atem retaliated. "You are doing the exact opposite. Don't speak lies."

"I will _give_ you…your comforts," Kaiba corrected himself, beginning to grow impatient. "In return—"

"In return, you free me!" Atem sneered, holding up his middle finger again, no longer deciding to play nice. "I refuse to give you anything from my world. I'm not bargaining with you anymore. Release me, or I kill you the first chance I get."

Kaiba stood there for a long moment, wondering if he was hallucinating to a point of no return.  
Impossible, because Mokuba had seen this thing too, and he was standing in his lab…surrounded by millions of dollars' worth of damaged equipment.

If this creature let out the scream repeatedly, he'd be ruined.

Gagging it was out of the question. It would create more hostility between them, and releasing it back into the ocean was not something he was willing to do just yet.

Not until he found out more about the mysterious stones.

Threats didn't seem to be working, and at this rate, bribery didn't appear feasible either.

"How about this…" Kaiba began, and he saw the creature flick its tail irritably and look away haughtily. "I give you your crown back. I have not touched it yet."

Atem kept his gaze focused on the silver wall to his far right, feeling his eyes water heavily. He was trapped here until he made a deal with this unmovable human.

"You wear a crown, so you must be…royalty," Kaiba stated, waiting for the creature to correct him, and when he was met with defiant silence, he continued to speak. "There must be something happening in your…kingdom…that you want to change. What is it?"

"Oh, indeed," Atem whipped his head around to glare at the human. "The fear of being seen or captured is high. We're going extinct. Release me."

"Anything else?" Kaiba asked, willing himself to remain composed. He was this close to shouting at the creature, and he couldn't risk another high-pitched scream. Mokuba was already frightened enough.

"Yes, many things," Atem shivered and sat up straighter. "Ugly metal ships have been hovering in our hemisphere. They are as dangerous as they are annoying. They bring garbage with them. Tons and tons of garbage."

"Then our agreement is this," Kaiba declared triumphantly, his blue eyes gleaming handsomely, "My teams will rake up the garbage, and leave your hemisphere."

If his ships were hovering near _"the hemisphere_ " it meant he was close to the monster's lair.

"Why would you do that?" Atem asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the man. So the metal ships belonged to this vile human.  
He now had a face to match the crime.

"So that you will agree to live peacefully in a _comfortable_ enclosure…in my lab," Kaiba finished, thinking he would release this half-fish eventually, but not until he got what he wanted.

Atem swallowed thickly, feeling his head spin with nausea and dread.

"For how long?" he whispered, wondering if he would be caged forever. "I miss my family."

"Until you and I can come to an agreement of sorts," Kaiba stated firmly, nodding. "You know what I want. Stones, information about the stones, or a way to get to where they are buried. You want freedom. Obviously."

 _So obvious…_ Atem rolled his eyes angrily, thinking that this human was denser than rock. He had told him the stones were laid by sea demons. Had he not been listening?

"Well, I can't give you any information if I'm half-dead and dying," Atem replied coldly.

Kaiba nodded silently and pulled out his phone, speaking quietly into it while he slowly walked away from the creature, feeling weak all over.

Was he a terrible person for doing this to another living creature? Yes. But there was a hierarchy in this world that needed to be balanced.

This was just like any other business negotiation. If the mer-king wanted the ships removed from the water, he would do so willingly, and throw in a little ocean clean-up as an extended apology.  
In return, he expected answers that would help him bring about the next scientific and technological revolution.

Atem watched the human talk on the phone for a long while before he hung up and approached him again.

"I've ordered my ships to clean up the water surrounding your kingdom, and they will withdraw once they are done," Kaiba said cleverly, seeing the merman's eyes widen. "I will put you in similar enclosure in another location, and you will promise not to scream. You will tell me exactly what you need, and when you need it. Understood?"

"Ah…whatever," Atem rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest, understanding that what this human feared was his scream. "I doubt you could keep me alive for a whole moon cycle. I've almost died twice now."

"Whatever," came the cold reply, and Kaiba went to stand by the elevator just to be extra cautious.

He now knew the merman's intentions was to kill him for freedom, so he wasn't about to make himself an easy target, especially when there was no glass separating them now.

"Where are you going?" Atem asked angrily, gazing around the glass-littered room and feeling his chest tighten with fear and anxiety. "Put me back in water."

"How long until you shrivel up and die?" Kaiba replied tauntingly, mentally kicking himself at how cruel he sounded. "Tell me."

"Twelve hours," Atem growled, baring his fangs once more, thoroughly fed up with the handsome human's debasing comments. "Approximately one of your days in light."

"That's more than enough time for me to set it up," Kaiba said, frowning. "If you hadn't ruined this enclosure, you wouldn't be on the clock. Simple as that."

"I hate you," Atem replied venomously, and to his supreme annoyance, the human laughed heartily.

The elevator doors slid open behind him and Kaiba stepped aside unsteadily, nodding at his men while giving them quick orders.

"He's dangerous. Restrain his arms and make sure he doesn't bite you." Kaiba eyed the gurney being wheeled in and he shot the merman a look over shoulder before adding, "It might be a poisonous. Do not let him draw blood."

Atem blinked, thoroughly surprised.  
This human was sharp.  
How did he know his bite was poisonous?  
Did he know that his scratch was poisonous too?  
This human sounded as if he _did_ know of merpeople and was out to hunt them…right?  
That had to be it!  
The stones were just a guise, when the real intention was to find his kingdom and capture every single one of them!  
What would happen if he fought these men?  
Nothing good.

Kaiba watched his men circle Atem with mechanical precision, and to his surprise, the merman did not struggle while his arms were being strapped down onto the gurney.

Gritting his teeth and doing his best not to feel humiliated, Atem let the men lift him up onto a rolling bed, and he was wheeled past Seto Kaiba.

They rose upwards while crowded together in a tiny box, and one of the men glanced down at him with his eyes wide, raking his gaze down his body rudely.

"A mermaid," the man said quietly, and his companions nodded stiffly in awkward silence. "Do you think it's real?"

"Shut up," his colleague replied coldly.

Atem jumped when he felt a hand on his hip, sliding intrusively down the side his fin, and he recoiled violently, horrified.

"Nobo-san...it feels just like a fish!" the man cried, and he was roughly shouldered aside by another man, hissing at him. "Do not touch it. He'll fire you."

 _Do not touch_ me _!_ Atem thought angrily, deciding to teach the man a lesson.

He gathered his saliva behind his teeth and raised his head, spitting on the man's arm, watching with vicious glee as the acidity from his fluids ate through the man's sleeve and singed his flesh.

A sour smell filled the tiny room, along with horrified yells of fear, and Atem grinned triumphantly, baring his teeth in a wicked smile as chaos erupted around him.

"It fucking hurts! Help!" the man cried, falling to his knees and gripping his arm gingerly while the other men around him cried out in surprise and shock. "It hurts! I've been burned! It's going through my skin! I can see my bone!"

The clamor in the elevator grew more and more panicked, and Atem relished in their fear, wondering if he should spit on someone else.

"Do not break formation!" another man commanded from behind Atem's head, and the room quieted instantly with nothing but the man's ragged breaths.

The sliding doors opened, and Atem felt himself being wheeled forward, surprised to see the face of Seto Kaiba hovering somewhere to his left as they passed by in a blur.

"Sir! Eiji has been burned. He spit..."

Atem strained to hear what the man was reporting, but he was being lifted into another small room, and he heard doors slamming. This room had a shallow ceiling and an odd, familiar smell.

Oil.  
Ah…humans used this to move their machines, Atem knew this much.

Kaiba gazed at his bodyguard's bloody arm in silent horror, his nausea rising to an all-time high as the smell of burned flesh invaded his nostrils, and the man whimpered pitifully.

"You're fired," Kaiba said plainly. "Go to a hospital." And he turned to address the head bodyguard once more, asking, "What happened? And don't lie. I will pull security feeds after this."

The bodyguard bowed stiffly, talking directly to the ground while bent in half.

"He touched the creature with one hand, right on the side while stating it felt like a fish. The creature looked offended, and after I shoved him aside, he was spit on, and the acid ate through his sleeve, sir."

"Right," Kaiba grit his teeth nervously. Another new fun fact. The merman had acidic saliva.

"Get in the car. Do not look or talk to it. Tell the driver to ease over bumps in the road. I will follow from behind."

"Yes sir," the man mumbled, and he climbed shakily into the limousine.

Atem heard the door open and close again, and the whole room seemed to shake as they began to move.

Terrified, Atem kept his gaze fixed on the low ceiling, listening to the men talking in low whispers around him.

"Eiji was fired, as expected."

"Was the boss angry?"

"No, he seemed shaken and worried. We turn away from the creature and do not provoke it further."

A deep chorus of "yes sirs'" followed this statement.

"Driver?"

"Sir!"

"Master Kaiba orders we drive gently. The creature is dangerous and can possibly understand us."

 _I can understand you just fine…you creatures_ , Atem thought angrily, feeling his shoulders ache from being strapped down in this position. His skin was beginning to dry out terribly but he vowed he would retain his dignity until the very end.

"I'm living in a sci-fi," one man mumbled to his left, and he was giving a hard nudge by his superior.

"Shut up."

Silence blanketed the car once more, and the fearful tension was tangible in the air.

After what felt like an eternity, the car lurched to a stop and Atem found himself being lifted out and wheeled forwards.

He saw the sky fully for the first time in days and he inhaled deeply, staring at the few white wisps of clouds above their heads.

A shadow passed over him, and he saw the tips of a monstrous human shelter.

They passed through a door, and Atem gazed up at the high ceilings of the home, marveling at the sparkling crystals hanging from above. They looked like clear raindrops suspended in mid-air, strung together in a breathtaking arrangement, lit with soft golden lights

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

 _I want one of those_ , Atem thought mildly, finally seeing something he could give Mahad for his birthday…if he would ever see him again.

The ceiling changed again, and he once again found himself in a tiny room with the men, and they slowly began to travel downwards.

 _Another deep chute_ , Atem thought nervously, wondering how high up or deep they were relative to the ocean.

The air here was dry, so they must be pretty far.

He was wheeled out of the small chute-room and the ceiling this time was low.

Atem heard Seto Kaiba's voice echoing through the chamber. "Now leave, before he spits on any more of you."

Shuffling footsteps pattered away frantically and Atem strained his neck, seeing no one.

"I'm going to unbuckle you," Kaiba called, his blood running cold at the thought of the merman spitting in his face and ruining his good looks forever. "And then I will carry you into the enclosure. You will _not_ scratch, bite, or spit on me."

"You're going to unhook me," Atem repeated dully, showing that he understood. "You will carry me into the cage, and I will do my best to refrain from hurting you."

"Good," Kaiba said gruffly, striding forward and slowly unbuckling the merman's arms from the gurney restraints. He moved to the end, where the tail was still strapped in, and he felt the merman sit up slowly.

Atem watched apprehensively as pale hands unclipped the restraints from his tail, and he gave it a grateful wave, feeling stiff all over.

Before he could prepare himself, the human was at his side in a flash. Cold arms slid underneath his body, and lifted him up smoothly with surprising force.

His stomach tightened strangely while he was lowered gently into the water.

Pleased, Atem gazed around the enclosure, realizing his requests had been granted. This was a shallow pool, perfect for grazing, and it was deep enough so he could submerge himself completely from the shoulders down.

The edge was made with a smooth beige stone, and two thin pipes lined against the inner walls were cycling the water.

Kaiba released the merman and backed away quickly, cursing the cold. His sleeves had been soaked through completely because he had forgotten to roll them up.

He quickly stripped off his blazer to wring it out. Salt water was fucking corrosive to the dye on his clothes.

Atem took deep, shaking breaths, feeling incredibly warm and relieved.  
This water wasn't any plain shallow ocean water. In fact, this water smelled like home.

"I've managed to recreate the conditions of the water from which we pulled you out from," Kaiba said anxiously, wondering if he had balanced everything correctly. "Tell me if something feels off. Immediately. You can press that button there."

Atem followed Kaiba's slender finger pointing at a solid grey button on the wall. Interesting….

He swiveled around and carefully inspected the room behind Seto Kaiba, taking it all in.  
There were no screens in this room. The walls were knitted together with a strange texture and a lone chair sat beside a wide table near the door.  
The rest was empty space.

Frowning, Atem turned back around to address Kaiba, and was shocked to discover that the man was suddenly shirtless.

He blinked rapidly, feeling his cheeks burn with curiosity. He was fit and toned…for a human, and his skin was ever so pale.

Looking away quickly, Atem couldn't help but think that Seto Kaiba looked familiar enough from the waist up.

 _I suppose that's how he feels about me,_ Atem thought nervously, hearing the man clear his throat behind him, and he ignored it, dipping his head underneath the water quickly and taking several deep breaths.

His eyes watered dangerously, but Atem willed himself to keep it together.

The human had done well, recreating water from his home, but that did not make up for all the other terrible things being said and done here.

Kaiba waited patiently for the merman to resurface, and after a while, he did, rising magnificently from the pool with water dripping handsomely down his blonde spiky bangs.

"This will do," Atem said plainly, examining his claws lazily, making sure to extend them several inches as he knew the human was watching him cautiously. "Now bring me some food."

Kaiba bit his tongue lightly to keep himself from shouting back at the man.  
It was one demand after another.  
Keeping this pet had better be fucking worth it.

"What would you like to eat, your majesty?" Kaiba asked spitefully, and the merman threw him a surprised look.

"Oh, you're being polite now all of a sudden?" Atem smiled gleefully, wondering if his spitting act had really earned him some respect. "Any fish will do. Any of your food will do. I haven't had human food that I didn't like."

"Where the fuck would you get human food?" Kaiba asked, his mouth moving against his will, and he mentally kicked himself for sounding interested.

"Shipwrecks. Preserved rations survive in water quite well," Atem answered thoughtfully, leaning against the edge, feeling sleepy. "People throw food over the sides on vacation ships sometimes. They enjoy littering."

"You really are a fish," Kaiba said, unable to help himself, and turned to leave, hearing a shout of laughter echo from behind him.

Gritting his teeth so tightly that his jaw ached, Kaiba swung his wet shirt and blazer over his shoulder before walking out of the basement.

Sighing, Atem stretched out in the shallow pool and dove down to the bottom, rapping his knuckles against the material, trying to figure out what it was.

It was hard like stone, rough like stone, but unlike anything he had ever encountered. This was a man-made.

Atem quickly resurfaced and ran his palms along the edge of the enclosure, inspecting each tile carefully. This was…marble, perhaps. A type of dyed marble mixed with quartz.

Blinking rapidly, Atem dragged his nail down across it, seeing a light scratch left on the shiny surface. Well, he could easily break out of this shallow pool, but it had been made to his specifications. The human would be angry.

Feeling tears building dangerously behind his eyes, Atem willed himself not to cry.

This was fine. He was alive…for now.

Closing his eyes, Atem propped his head up in his hands and felt himself shake. Damn. Damn it.  
No. He had no energy to cry.

Too late.  
Atem blinked and felt a tear roll down his cheek, and he palmed it away furiously, hearing it splash into the water.

Ah, wait. He could use his tears as something to bargain with.

Taking deep even breaths, Atem let himself cry in earnest, making sure the tears fell atop the marble edge of the pool.

He gathered them into a small pile and waited for the human to return.

This had better work.

Almost as if he had managed to summon the human with his thoughts, the door clicked, Kaiba entered the room, wheeling in a cartful of food.

He saw the merman sitting at the far back with his arms crossed regally across his chest, and he pushed the cart closer, calling out to him, "Here."

Atem said nothing and watched the human push the food right up to the pool's edge and take a step closer, bending down to inspect his tears.

Kaiba blinked rapidly, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

It was a pile of precious gems.

Clean and clear-cut rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds, all glittered up at him, each in various sizes, all rounded at the edges.

"What the fuck is this?" Kaiba cried, taking a step back and feeling faint. "Did you take a shit?"

Atem's mouth dropped open and he found himself at a loss for words.

Was this human a blind idiot? Those were precious gemstones! They had the highest clarity out of all the four kingdoms that surrounded them!  
Only a pureblood, and true royal could cry tears of such beauty.

"Y-You think, that I took… _a shit_?" Atem whispered hoarsely, feeling another laugh clawing its way up his chest, and it was making every breath painful. "You think that…this is what my _shit_ looks like? Tell me human—"

"No, I know you shit in the water." Kaiba grinned boyishly, and he swore he saw the merman redden with embarrassment. "That's why you need me to cycle it every hour or so. You can't control it?"

Atem did not dignify that with an answer. Of course he could control his bowels, but he had been left in the same water for so long, he had no other choice.

"Right, so…" Kaiba tilted his head to the side curiously and Atem blinked rapidly, instantly reminded of the child Mokuba. "How did you make these?"

"Those are my tears," Atem replied through gritted teeth, his cheeks burning hotter with a strange fire. This human had a way with his words that could somehow make him warm all over.

"Very cool," Kaiba commented, sounding completely detatched, and Atem was unable to hide his shock. "I'm more interested in _how_ you managed to do this. What am I supposed to do with these?"

"They are…for you." Atem managed tightly, hating himself for even saying it in a way that sounded marginally polite. "As payment, and thanks. For the food, and for keeping me alive."

"Sure…" Kaiba said, sounding distant. He scooped the gems up and pocketed them quickly, feeling quite odd.

It was a strange but welcome offering from the merman.

"What!" Atem snapped defensively, unhappy with the human's ungrateful reaction. "Are they not to your liking? Not big enough for you?"

"No," Kaiba answered mildly, slipping his phone out and deciding he would call a jeweler after all. "This is going to pay for that arm."

"What arm?" Atem cried, wondering if they were speaking two different languages.

"The arm you spat on!" came the furious reply, and Atem watched Kaiba storm out of the room and slam the door behind him with an echoing bang.

"Ah, that arm," Atem said to himself, nodding with satisfaction.  
Human flesh was so weak.  
That man deserved it for pawing at him in the first place.

He eyed the cart filled to the brim with gleaming slices of fish, and his mouth began to water.

Finally, food!  
He was going to enjoy this meal immensely.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Kaiba is low-key scared of Atem's acidic spit. Cheeky little Mokuba has a run-in with the "ocean fairy" and Atem cries tears of precious gems.

Ugli is trying this new thing. Can you guys tell what it is? :D (its more dialogue lol) I have to admit, dialogue has always been my weak point. This story is my focus to improve that. How am I doing?

Edited by: setokaibaes

xo  
Ugli


	4. Chapter 4

Kaiba entered the basement cautiously, weighing the crown in his hand. He knew that giving this back to the merman would put them on good, solid terms, so it was worth it.

He had had it appraised by a jeweler who had come to his home with all his tools, and declared the value of it to be several million yen.

Also, because it looked like an ancient artifact, the value would only go higher once historians put their bids in, and it took a lot of dexterity to dodge the jeweler's questions.

Atem was asleep, but he heard the door close and ignored it, choosing to stay underwater.

His stomach was pleasantly full and this was the best sleep he had had since his capture.

"Hey!"

Seto Kaiba was calling him from above and Atem continued to ignore him.

Swallowing nervously, Kaiba realized he didn't know the merman's name.

Crap.

Sighing, he walked over to the chair and sat down, making sure to stay several feet away from the edge. If the merman emerged and decided to spit at him…. Kaiba shook his head and propped his head up on the table, closing his eyes and deciding to take a nap.

Atem slowly rose to the surface, making sure to be as quiet as possible. He eyed the businessman, keeping his face beneath the water and inching closer to the edge.

His crown was sitting on the table, right beside the sleeping man's arm, and as promised, all its jewels were intact. It had not been touched at all.

 _A man of his word_ , Atem thought appreciatively.

He jumped when the man spoke suddenly, with his eyes still closed. "Hey, fish, what's your name?"

"Fish?" Atem raged, curling his fists at his sides, his cheeks burning. "Call me by my name. I am Atem."

"Okay, Atem," Kaiba said simply, feeling his tongue twist pleasantly around the foreign syllables. He stood quickly and held the crown out to the merman, seeing his own arm shaking slightly.

"I won't hurt you, so you can bring it here," the merman said loftily, smirking evilly at him. "But call me fish one more damn time, Seto Kaiba, and you'll need a new arm, just like that other man."

Kaiba nodded silently and moved closer. The merman snatched the crown from his hands and readily swam away, placing it in the far corner of the pool, out of reach.

Sighing, Kaiba rubbed his aching neck, his eye catching on another pile of sparkling gems gathered in a small pile at the edge.

"More offerings?" Kaiba asked tiredly, and he received a tight nod from the merman.

Atem narrowed his eyes at the human. Was it not clear that he was hurting and missing his family?

"Stop giving them to me," Kaiba said coldly, rising to his feet and moving to sit back in the plastic chair.

There was a long awkward silence before the merman spoke up first.

"You're the first human I've encountered who would refuse these gifts."

"Yeah, well…" Kaiba crossed his legs tightly, giving the merman a quick glance. "They're gems without a serial number, but very clean. I'm not about to be accused for trafficking gems."

Atem blinked rapidly, not understanding a word.

"Nevermind," Kaiba growled, rolling his eyes. The barrage of questions from the jeweler had reminded him to be cautious about accepting gifts that came out of a fantasy creature.

"You either explain, or you don't speak at all," Atem hissed in response, moving closer to the edge and feeling anger spike quickly inside of him. This man was as infuriating as he was handsome!

"Oh my god." Kaiba palmed his face in exasperation. "Humans…we tag our jewels with numbers. Unnumbered jewels are either fake, or stolen—"

"I understand." The merman cut across him rudely. "Your species is so greedy, you must mark every gem with a number so one can claim it."

Kaiba stared at the merman for a long moment before giving him a tight nod. Sure, sure whatever. This thing could understand it in his own way.

"Right, I'm here to ask how you produce the gems in your tears," Kaiba said stiffly, curling his fingers over his knee, and he saw the merman's eyes widen at him.

"I cry," Atem replied stupidly, wondering if the human ever listened to anything he said.

"Yes, but what is _in_ your tears?" Kaiba asked earnestly, leaning forward in his chair. To his dismay, the merman backed away, glaring.

"I don't know, and you're not going to slice open my face to find out."

"I'm not going to do that," Kaiba said quickly, his cheeks reddening with a mixture of rage and embarrassment at the suggestion. Did this merman think he was a monster?

He gazed at the food cart, seeing neatly stacked plates with not a speck of food left behind.

"How did it taste?" Kaiba asked gently, wondering if anything would be considered poisonous to the merman.

"All of it was delicious," came the confident reply, and Kaiba watched the merman swim closer to the edge, looking friendlier. "I enjoyed the varieties of fish eggs you had on the side."

"You have expensive tastes," Kaiba said tersely, thinking of course the mermaid king would love eating all the caviar he had in his private stash.

"Well, I would like more." Atem smiled thinly, glancing at the human before quickly looking away, feeling his cheeks burn with a strange fire again. "Thank you."

Kaiba heard the hostile tone diminishing, and he jumped at the chance to ask, "Can you control the acidity of your saliva?"

Atem blinked rapidly and narrowed his eyes, sinking lower in the water for warmth, wondering if he should answer this question.  
It seemed Seto Kaiba had come in to interrogate him on his bodily functions.

"Why do you want to know?" Atem shot back, and to his surprise, Kaiba had a simple answer prepared.

"I'm interested," Kaiba replied, folding his hands together in his lap, gazing deeply into the merman's angular violet eyes, his heart fluttering with nervousness.  
This man's eyes were the most beautiful shade of deep violet.

Inhuman, eerie, and beautiful.

"I see." Atem narrowed his eyes at the human, trying to read his aura. It seemed genuine enough, so he decided to answer with, "Yes, I can."

"Yes, _how_?" Kaiba pressed, leaning forward in his chair, his blue eyes bright with curiosity.

Atem kept his guard up, waiting a heartbeat before answering, "I will it."

There was another long, tense silence before Kaiba nodded, still unsatisfied with the answer.

He was itching to touch the merman's scales and skin, and possibly take a swab of his saliva, but he didn't know how to get close without being attacked.

Baby steps.

First, he had to gain the creature's trust—

"You want to touch me," Atem said nastily, catching a steady stream of thought from the man, and he saw Kaiba stiffen visibly with fear. "And you want to take something called a 'swab', which I assume is a part of me. I'll give it to you, if you bring me two meals a day."

Kaiba felt his eyelid twitch and he remained glued to his seat with shock.  
The creature could read his mind.

"Only sometimes, and only when you're feeling vulnerable," Atem said thoughtfully, giving the water a playful flick before adding, "Like now."

Weak all over, Kaiba began to grow numb.  
Holy…shit.

He had been right to keep Mokuba away.

"Your next of kin, Mokuba," Atem jeered, leaning over the edge of the water, growing more and more confident with each passing thought. "Cute kid. He gives tidepool demons a good reputation."

Unable to draw his next breath, Kaiba watched Atem lean his head teasingly along the edge of the pool, his beautiful hair spilling over the side.

"I'll tell you what I know, human who deals in business and money," Atem said calmly, holding his hand up and showing the man he could retract his claws to make his hands look as human as possible.

Kaiba bit the inside of his lip so hard, he tasted blood. Before his very eyes, he had watched the claws shrink into the fingers that rounded at the tips.  
What the fuck….

"I know that you are scared of me." Atem pressed his chin down atop of his arms and yawned languidly. "Even before you saw me, from the very beginning you were frightened of me. You didn't want anything alive to be in the container. I know. I heard your thoughts."

Kaiba grit his teeth, his face heating up with fury and humiliation.

"True!" Atem let out a deep laugh that echoed pleasantly around the room, and Kaiba felt his skin crawl. "You are a proud man…and…"

 _And what?_ Kaiba growled silently, hating the fact that this had turned into an open-session of fortune telling, where this merman picked apart his thoughts and personality, making him feel emotionally defenseless.

"You put up good fight because you're strong-willed," Atem contemplated, twirling a strand of his blonde hair in his fingers, feeling his hand burn from the intensity of Kaiba's eyes following his movements.

"Damn right I am," Kaiba said, and he watched the merman throw his head back and laugh beautifully again.

Enchanted and unable to help himself, Kaiba stared at his slender, tanned neck.

"How fun," Atem smiled impishly and gave the businessman one last apprising look before he heaved himself out of the water and sat enticingly along the edge.

This human wanted to play!

Well, this would be an interesting change of pace.  
Perhaps if he got the human to love him, his freedom was closer than he'd originally thought.

Kaiba's mouth steadily grew drier while he watched the merman spread out on the bevel of the shallow pool. His muscles were well-defined and his tanned skin seemed to glow under the low lights.

The sheen in his tail was the most fascinating. It would shift between red and gold every time he moved, and the tips of the tail were sharp and delicate.

"It's been a while since I've played with a human," Atem said smoothly, feeling a small twinge of doubt.

This man would be his first human frolic.  
Was this acceptable?

It was forbidden and punishable by death if he, a royal, was caught playing with a human. But there was no one to see them here, and the circumstances were dire.  
His freedom depended on it.  
Besides, this human was pretty.  
There was no harm in trying.

Finally, Kaiba found his voice, and he couldn't speak in a volume higher than a whisper. "What do you mean by play?"

"In all senses of the word," Atem replied calmly, but his heart was pounding so thickly inside his chest, it became a low hum. This human, Seto Kaiba, was a curious one. His actions were not inherently cruel, but just in case a 'swab' was something hostile, he decided to ask.

"But you will have to tell me what a 'swab' is," Atem said deeply, and he watched Kaiba smile prettily and let out a nervous laugh.

"I take a sample of your saliva in a plastic tube, and I get to keep it."

Atem nodded, feeling more at ease now than ever before. He had suspected as much.

Kaiba noticed the nod and his spirits soared. A nod meant that he _could_ take a swab.

Kaiba stared at the merman's bare chest for a long moment before he rose to his feet to hurry out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Startled, Atem frowned. He hadn't managed to catch the last thread of thought from Kaiba's mind before he ran.

 _Perhaps he's scared, as he should be_ , Atem mused, lying back on the cool stone and staring up at the dark ceiling, wishing he could see the sky.  
The plan had changed. He would now indulge the human as much as possible, and when the human was satisfied, he would be released.

Human life spans were short, so Atem figured he would be freed within the next fifty years, give or take.

* * *

Kaiba leaned heavily against the door, willing his heart to calm down.

He was sweating profusely, lightheaded, and slightly aroused.  
Holy fucking shit.  
He was being propositioned and…mind-raped.

Was the merman…advancing on him? Hitting on him? Trying to control his actions?

Offering to _play._

 _"In all senses of the word."_

 _Meaning sex!_ Kaiba thought, horrified, and he sank slowly to the floor in a sitting position. Was he curious about it? S-Sure, but he was more interested in the how, and not the why.

But how could he find out the way mer-people had sex with humans? The mermaid king sure didn't seem like he would willingly offer sex with another human, which probably meant….

 _It's a trap,_ Kaiba thought shakily, clasping his hands together and closing his eyes tightly. The merman would catch him off guard then slit his throat. Mokuba would come down and find his bloody body floating in a saltwater pool.

Atem tilted his head, hearing a steady stream of thoughts from the human entering his consciousness, and he suppressed a huff of amusement.  
This man was also distrustful it seemed.

 _The worst and most difficult kind of human to fool_ , Atem thought angrily, giving his tail an annoyed flick.

So Seto Kaiba would not immediately take him up on the offer. What would he do now?

 _I'll be here until the end of time, until the end of his time_ , Atem growled furiously to himself.

After a few short moments, the door swung open again, and Kaiba appeared with a steel briefcase.

Amused, Atem smiled warmly at the human, having changed his tune completely. A pretty human who was mildly frightened of him was better than a pretty human who was cruel and unforgiving.

"We are not going to play," Kaiba said firmly, holding up the bags. "Samples of everything from your body right now."

"Take your time," Atem said mildly, deciding to tuck his hands behind his head and lay back down on the marble bevel. "You can do what you want."

Grinding his teeth, Kaiba set the briefcase down by his feet and flipped it open, revealing rows of empty glass tubes.

"Open your mouth," Kaiba said carefully, approaching the merman with a cotton swab, and the merman obediently opened his mouth wide, showing off a gleaming row of perfectly human teeth.

He hastily stuck the swab into his cheek and sealed it into the tube, his hands shaking terribly.

He snatched up another tube and saw Atem's eyes twinkle playfully at him.

"Venom, from your fangs," Kaiba managed a stiff smile, and the tube was snatched out of his hand. He watched with increasing fascination at the way Atem managed to fit the top fang in through the rim the tube with precision, and a thick, yellow liquid filled it quickly.

Amazing. Simply amazing. In addition to being half-fish, this man was also part snake.

"You think I'm a snake?" Atem asked mildly, listening to the pleasant clinking of tubes coming from the steel box. "I'll show you a snake…."

"I didn't say that," Kaiba responded gruffly, holding up another empty tube and almost dropping it when he saw that an appendage had magically grown from a slit in the merman's fin, several inches beneath his navel.

It was the same color as the tail, but it was odd, slimy…almost tentacle-like but instead of suction pads, there were a series of odd ridges running up and down along its length.

Kaiba sat down hard, and felt his tailbone chafe painfully.  
Uh…what the fuck was that?! A worm? A snake?!  
An organism that grew out of the merman's tail?  
An organism that lived off of the merman's sustenance?  
Was that why this man needed so many different nutrients in his water?

Or was that his…penis…

"What?" Atem asked, frowning deeper as he tried to continue deciphering Kaiba's thoughts, which had begun to jumble together incoherently.

"Your pet snake," Kaiba said evenly after finally managing to find his voice, and he couldn't properly draw his next breath.

Atem blinked and wondered if he ought to laugh, his body burning with humiliation. Somehow…again, this human made him feel this way.

"My pet sn—indeed," Atem replied, his voice shaking with mirth. "Would you like to pet him?"  
This human was truly dense! Was he doing it on purpose?

Kaiba gripped the glass tube so hard, he felt it almost shatter in his grasp.  
It _was_ his penis.  
This had taken a strange turn.  
And the merman was making fun of him.

"I see, that is the word for it," Atem smiled sweetly, wondering if he had scared the human sufficiently enough. "Is it true that you humans like to give it a name?"

Completely at a loss for words, Kaiba shakily replaced the empty tube back into the briefcase and stared a blank space on the ground until his eyes began to water.

Incredible.  
A male merman was propositioning him.  
Hell…fucking no.  
He wasn't gay, at least he didn't think so.

…But how could he say 'no' for an opportunity to take to a sample of a mythical creature's semen?

"You want a sample of…what?" Atem asked shrewdly, losing his patience as his arousal began to fade into disappointment. "I thought you wanted to play. It seems you are cowardly after all."

Kaiba blinked rapidly, wondering if he ought to take the bait. The merman sounded impatient and angry.

"Show me how you touch it then," Kaiba said headily, turning slowly to face Atem, and he crossed his legs firmly, feeling the wetness from the ground soaking in through the bottom of his trousers.

Atem blinked once and nodded slowly, curling his fingers around his own shaft. He gave himself a steady stroke upwards, enjoying a warm jolt of pleasure traveling up through his stomach, understanding that Kaiba needed some guidance.

Kaiba felt his head spin violently as he watched Atem's fingers stroke the odd-looking tentacle, his knuckles whitening over the shaft which had begun to stand up and look somewhat erect.

Was it…not going to stay erect?  
Deeply aroused and intrigued, Kaiba continued to watch, noticing that the tip would flick this way and that after a particularly pleasurable stroke upwards, and he swallowed thickly, shifting uncomfortably while his back was drenched in nervous sweat.

Oh…man. This was fucking weird!

"Let go of it," Kaiba said quietly, his curiosity rising to an all-time high, and his stomach tightened strangely when the merman threw him a playful smirk and released his shaft slowly.

He watched in amazement as the tentacle curled over Atem's thumb almost longingly before the hand was withdrawn, and Kaiba felt a strange pressure in his groin when he had a sudden image of the length inside his mouth.

The tip was pointed almost like a tongue, and if he ignored the fact that it was coming out a gigantic merman's tail, and only focused his gaze on the merman from the torso up…would it be like sucking on a giant tongue?

No longer able to string together a coherent thought, Kaiba reached for it and almost recoiled when the tentacle seemed to reciprocate and stretch towards his hand eagerly.

"Stop that! Are you doing that?" Kaiba cried, shrinking his hand away quickly, his heart thudding painfully in his throat as Atem let out another deep laugh.

"No…only sometimes," Atem replied excitedly, pleased with the human's reactions. They were so interesting!  
He could see why playing with a human was something mer-people enjoyed. The mere reaction was worth it.

Taking a deep shaking breath, Kaiba reached for it again and saw it straining toward his hand once more. Oh god…gross….!

A human penis was strange enough, but this thing….!

Kaiba reminded himself to shut up because the creature could read his mind, and he bravely wrapped his fingers around the length, expecting it to be cold, but it was warm.

To his utmost horror, the tentacle jumped excitedly up in his hand, and Atem's chest heaved with excitement as he threw his head back, enjoying the foreign sensation of heat consuming his body.

"Oh my...g—holy…s—," Unable to properly talk, Kaiba kept his hand outstretched over the tentacle and splayed his fingers out, watching it writhe excitedly around his palm in a mesmerizing dance, slipping in and out through the gaps of his fingers, almost as if it _was_ a tongue, licking his hand, waiting for it to grasp onto it tightly.

Letting his breath out slowly, Kaiba gave it a firm grip and a few rough strokes upwards, seeing the merman's tail convulse suddenly while Atem let out a shuddering gasp. "Too much…don't!"

Slowing his motions down, Kaiba ran his hand up and down along the full length, fascinated with how it self-lubricated at the base and extended fully when he pulled it upwards. The more he thought about it, the more it _was_ just like a giant tongue.

His dick leaked wetly in his underwear, startling him greatly, and Kaiba froze, realizing that he was aroused by this…by some strange miracle, or curse.

He gave Atem a nervous stare, seeing the merman's eyes half-lidded with lust and his mouth parted excitedly.

A kiss with that acidic saliva would probably kill him, but kissing this thing down here probably wouldn't kill him.

"Stop thinking about that," Atem commanded, breathing heavily and deeply excited. "I've decided I won't kill you. You're too entertaining for that."

Kaiba was only half-listening. His ears were ringing with a strange noise and something possessed him to lean his head down to give the pink tip a quick sniff.

It was an oddly fresh scent, reminiscent of an ocean spray mixed in with something…unique.

Atem gasped and almost recoiled, drawing his tail up to his chest. Was the human going to bite him there?! It wasn't for eating!

"Stop," Kaiba mumbled, now fully intending on sucking the merman off. "I'm going to lick it."

Horrified, Atem shook his head frantically, thoroughly regretting everything now.

The human pushed the middle of his tail down with surprising force, causing him to lay flat, and before Atem could compose himself or protest again, a hot, pleasurable warmth consumed him steadily, and he glanced down at himself breathlessly, unable to tear his gaze away from the strange sight.

The human had captured his length inside his mouth and was sucking powerfully, sending more violent jolts of pleasure running up and down his spine, and Atem let out a frantic gasp as wave after wave of alien sensations washed over him.

Meanwhile, Kaiba was conflicted, half-enjoying the way Atem's penis moved freely inside him like a tongue swirling happily against the roof of his mouth, and half-regretting ever putting his mouth on the wriggling length, because the taste was extremely salty, and it was so thick, his jaw was aching.

The tip of the tentacle snaked upwards naughtily, almost as if teasing him, testing him, challenging him to take it deeper into his mouth, so he did, pressing his palms down on either side of the merman's scaly hips and letting the tentacle dick shoot upwards repeatedly past his own tongue and pleasurably hit the back of his throat with surprising strength.  
Oh…holy fuck.  
What if this thing moved like this while it was inside of him?  
Or even…on his own penis, while Atem thrust his hips upwards?

The rigorous up and down motions of the tentacle inside his mouth was already lewd enough, causing his stomach to churn with a mixture of ecstasy and arousal. His pants were uncomfortably tight, and Kaiba wished he could touch himself while this odd penis fucked him in the mouth, but he held back.

Atem's vision was swimming dangerously in and out of focus as the human's mouth would not let up. Sometimes, there would be a powerful suck, sending an enormous stream of heat down to the very tips of his fins, and other times the light bobbing of Kaiba's head sent tingles down his fingertips.  
Amazing. Never in all of his life had Atem ever felt such intense pleasure.  
Humans were filthy creatures because of their knowledge of this act.

Unable to hold out any longer, Atem gave in to the repeated swirls and strokes of heat and let out a shuddering sigh, releasing thickly into Kaiba's mouth.

"Shit!" Kaiba jerked his head up frantically and dove for his briefcase, snatching a glass tube with a slippery hand and managing to scoop a residual glob of semen into it.

Shaking with adrenaline, he gazed at the wet and sticky mess covering Atem's tanned torso, actively avoiding looking at the wriggling tentacle still jumping excitedly upwards from his groin.

Kaiba lips dryly, tasting nothing but the strange tang mixed in with salt.

He was glad the color of semen was also white, but…was the sample contaminated with his own saliva?

Sitting back on his heels, Kaiba forced himself to calm down, willing his boner away. That had been fucking weird, and he had possibly crossed a line.

Atem let out a contented sigh and glanced down at himself curiously, his heart still racing madly inside his chest, his body still shaking with threads of residual pleasure.

That had been…too short, and too intense.

"...Again?" Atem ventured weakly, hearing his own voice shake. He was beginning to understand now why playing with humans was explicitly forbidden.  
He never wanted to even think about another mermaid ever again!  
If a human's mouth felt this good…it meant that other parts of their body might feel even more amazing, indescribable even!

"Again?!" Kaiba gasped. The slime had not yet dried off his own hands, and he wondered if he ought to wipe it on his own pants, or wash it off in the pool. Was the semen acidic too?

"Yes, it was quite good. Again," Atem said simply, giving the human a smile, feeling newfound appreciation for Seto Kaiba.

"Right-right now…?" Kaiba blinked, deeply shaken, and the merman nodded his spiky head firmly with another playful smile.

"You don't want to?" Atem tilted his head at Kaiba, gazing hopefully into his clear blue eyes, feeling his heart skip several excited beats inside his chest.

There was a long silence.

Kaiba slowly reached to snap his briefcase shut before rising to his feet unsteadily.

He stumbled to the exit, ignoring Atem's calls echoing from behind him.

"Human…come back! Are you tired? Or is it true that you can only go once?"

Kaiba slammed the door behind himself and leaned against it heavily, his breathing ragged.

Holy fuck.

His dick hurt from staying resolutely hard inside his pants, and Kaiba cursed himself darkly.  
Was he seriously going to jerk himself off after doing that?

He had just mindlessly sucked on the merman's tongue-penis.

And it had felt good.

It had felt really good.

The thought of how Atem's tongue had danced erotically inside his mouth was enough to make him cum, and grit Kaiba his teeth, curling his knees to his chest, rocking back and forth steadily, riding out his low orgasm.

And that was another first.  
He had somehow managed to cum inside his own pants without a stroking touch, and with just pure thought.

 _Maybe I've been possessed,_ Kaiba thought glumly, his mind humming with a strange haze he recognized as lust.

But a tiny voice in the back of his mind told him that he had done everything of his own accord, because he had _wanted_ to lick the merman's strange dick.

Slowly rising to his feet, Kaiba left the briefcase on the floor and made his way to the elevator, deciding to take a cold shower.

Inside the room, Atem slid back into the water smoothly and floated blissfully on his back, his mind wonderfully clear, his body strangely light.

That was something he could do all day and all night. It was understandable why many a mermaid would run off with a human man who could give them that kind of pleasure, but mating with humans would ultimately lead to their extinction.

 _I'm in trouble_ , Atem thought guiltily, throwing a hand over his forehead, feeling himself grow aroused again.

At this rate, he wasn't sure how many times he needed to copulate with the human before he felt completely satisfied.

Something that had been a teasing hunch had turned into a serious pleasure session, and Atem's mind kept wandering back to the way Seto Kaiba kept his mouth clamped tightly over his entire length.

Shaking his head firmly, he forced the image out of his mind and flipped over onto his stomach, staring down at the white floor at the bottom of the pool.

One thing was for certain. Seto Kaiba was an amazing human in more ways than one.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Kaiba grapples with his sexuality and then feels horrified at what he did.  
Atem is literally just so happy and horny, he just wants to go again and again.  
The forbidden fruit is always the tastiest.  
Might as well make the most of your imprisonment, right?

edited by: setokaibaes


	5. Chapter 5

Kaiba tossed and turned in his bed, restless and anxious.

Beneath him, in the basement of his house, was a merman living in a pool.

A merman who had extended a tentacle-like penis out to him and he had willingly reciprocated.

Horrified with himself, Kaiba pressed his face deeper into his pillow and held his breath, willing for sleep to come. He flipped over onto his back and gazed up at the ceiling, wide awake.

His mind kept drifting back to the merman's haunting angular eyes, and he sat up slowly, pushing the covers off himself, deciding to check on the creature.

There were too many questions spinning in his mind. He wouldn't waste his time trying to sleep.

Sweeping his laptop off from his desk, he tucked it under his arm and quietly exited the room, spotting a sliver of light coming from underneath the crack in the door from Mokuba's room.

Kaiba paused mid-step and walked towards it to knock gently.

There was no answer, so he gently eased the door open, peering in and seeing a sudden movement in the sheets.

Mokuba pulled the covers over his head and shoved his phone back under his pillow before closing his eyes tightly.

"Mokuba?" Kaiba said quietly, edging into the room and sitting down against the edge of his little brother's bed. "Can't sleep? Nightmares?"

Mokuba grit his teeth and sat up slowly, his body feeling unnaturally heavy with exhaustion. It wasn't just nightmares.

"Where is the mermaid?" Mokuba asked tentatively, and he gazed up into his older brother's unreadable expression in the semi-darkness, feeling a cold hand give his shoulder a squeeze.

"He's safe," Kaiba replied, wondering if that was really the case. People hunted for mythical creatures and sold proof of them off for hundreds of millions. The merman was not safe on land.

"What if he screams right now?" Mokuba whispered fearfully, his stomach churning with nausea. "And he said he was dying! that true? Are you trying to save him?"

"I've soundproofed the room," Kaiba said warmly, giving his brother another reassuring squeeze. "So his scream won't hurt us."

And it was then that Kaiba decided he would not tell Mokuba about the merman's acidic saliva and venomous fangs.

He pulled his brother into a tight hug and rested his chin atop Mokuba's soft black hair, answering truthfully. "I put him in more water, gave him more space, and he's eaten, so he's doing fine. He did say something about garbage contaminating his home, so we're working on cleaning that up."

"And then you'll put him back, right?" Mokuba asked shrilly, hugging his brother back with vigor. "After all the garbage has been cleared?"

"Yeah, I will kiddo. Sleep tight, okay?" Kaiba said gruffly, moving to tuck his brother in.

Mokuba wiggled himself down under the sheets obediently, gazing adoringly up at his older brother. "G'night Seto. I love you."

"Good night Mokuba. Love you too," Kaiba replied, bending down to give Mokuba a swift kiss on his forehead before straightening up quickly and walking out of the room, making sure to close the door quietly behind him.

Sighing, he hurried down the grand staircase, doing his best to suppress the odd swooping feeling in his stomach.

Were mermen known to be sexual creatures?

Maybe he ought to consult a professor of mythology tomorrow, because he didn't know jack shit about mermaids.

He placed his hand against the elevator scanner and stepped inside after the doors slid open, willing his pounding heart to calm down.

Atem pricked his ears up.

There were footsteps coming from beyond the door, so he rose out of the water quickly, swimming to the edge to lean his head against the marble.

The human was back for more playtime!

 _So it is true. They can only go once,_ Atem mused, fanning his tail lazily in the water behind himself, enjoying the cool sensations of freshly cycled water coming from the pipes.

The door swung open and the human walked in, dressed in more simple clothing.

Appreciating the change, Atem raised his hand out of the water in a friendly wave, "Come here! You're back. Did you recover?"

Kaiba set his laptop down on the table at the far end of the room and pulled the chair out, wondering what the merman meant by 'recover'. Sleep? Because he hadn't slept a wink since that incident.

"Right!" Atem clapped his hands together in a sudden revelation. "You humans need to sleep. For five hours, was it?"

"Five or more," Kaiba replied tersely, flipping the laptop open and pulling up a chart. He hovered his hands over the keyboard.  
Where he should start? How about with the mind reading?

"How can you read my thoughts?" Kaiba asked, making a new section and wondering if he ought to title it something ridiculous like 'mind control'.

Atem tilted his head to the side curiously, staring intently at the human's sharp cheekbones and feeling his stomach churn excitedly with lust.  
The human was pretty enough that one look at his face could make him go into heat.

In all his years of observing humans, had he ever seen a female prettier than this man?

"What?" Atem asked absently, twirling a strand of his blonde hair between his fingers, lost in his own thoughts.  
If he _had_ seen a female human before, she didn't stand out in his memory, because this man was prettier by far.

"You're not listening," Kaiba said impatiently, tapping his fingers against the bevel of his laptop. "How do you read minds?"

"I don't read anything," Atem replied indignantly, folding his arms across his chest and contemplating sitting on the edge again. "Your thoughts just spill out and I hear them. Like I said before, you are strong-willed."

"Unhelpful," Kaiba snapped, typing the answer out and moving to his next question. "Do you sleep?"

"When I'm tired." Atem replied shortly, understanding that this was another interrogation session. "What will you give me for answering these questions?"

Kaiba paused, feeling his eyelid twitch in annoyance. "What do you want?"

"Well, if you recall earlier, I requested two meals a day," Atem said quickly, flashing the human a charming smile. "But I've changed my mind. I want pleasure."

Kaiba blinked so rapidly, his vision turned green.  
What exactly did he mean by that?! Did he even want to know?

"You know what I mean," Atem replied haughtily, slowly sliding one armband off of his toned arm and setting it on the edge with a soft clink. "The actions we did earlier. I want that in place of a meal."

Kaiba grit his teeth and was at a loss for words.  
Unreal.

"You are the most contradictory human I've ever met," Atem declared, thinking he hadn't met enough humans to make this statement, but he continued. "Your aura is similar to mine. Did you know that?"

"I don't know what that means," Kaiba said dully, pleased for the sudden change of topic, so he pressed on with more questions. "How many people are in your kingdom? Do you have an...economy?"

Atem narrowed his eyes at Kaiba, beginning to grow impatient. He would not tell this human anything about his home.

Kaiba gazed expectantly at the merman, doing his best not to continuously stare at his bare chest, but his eyes kept slipping down to his nipples. They were perky, round, and sitting only a few inches above the water, shining with wetness.

"Ask another question," Atem suggested coyly, slowly rising out of the water and moving to sit at the edge, leaving his tail in the water and making sure to keep his back turned.

He had caught the human staring at his chest, so if the human wanted to look at his chest, he'd have to work for it.

Kaiba continued to stare at the merman's bare back before looking away quickly, his cheeks growing warm.  
Damn.  
Why was he feeling so pent up right now?  
He knew why.  
It was because he couldn't stop thinking about the merman's eyes…lips, and hair.

"Human? Human…" Atem called lazily, wringing the water out of his hair and giving his bangs a light shake. "Seto Kaiba!"

Kaiba snapped out of his thoughts and jerked his head up, gazing fearfully at the merman, wondering if he had been found out.

"Come here," Atem said sweetly, patting the spot beside him and giving the businessman a warm smile. "Sit with me."

Kaiba shook his head tightly and curled his fingers into his palms, watching the merman throw him a lustful look.

" _Please_ come here," Atem commanded, staring daggers into the human's eyes and wondering why he was being so reluctant. "I'll show you something else about me that I know you'll like."

"You can show me while I sit here," came the cold reply, and Atem grit his teeth in frustration. A new tactic was required.

" _You_ show me something then," Atem challenged, raking his gaze up and down along the Kaiba's slender form. "Go on. I'm waiting."

"You've never seen a naked human before?" Kaiba asked nervously, wondering why he was indulging this tangent. This was dangerous territory.

"Of course I have," Atem replied calmly, sliding off the golden band from his other arm.

A long time ago, he had seen a human couple making love on a beach, and he grew warm at the thought of the human's legs wrapped around his waist.

He shot Kaiba a glare and pointed at the marble bevel. "I won't ask you again, human. Come here."

Kaiba gave Atem a withering look. "No thanks. It's wet," he replied lamely.

The merman hissed at him.

"I can communicate with my men," Atem lied smoothly, flipping his tail excitedly in the water and wondering what would happen if he showed the human his dick again. "I'll have them bring you one of those stones you want so badly."

"Right, how exactly are you communicating with them?" Kaiba asked nervously, his heart fluttering as he noticed the merman's tail had become a dark red at the very ends of his fins.  
Had it…always been that color?  
He could've sworn it was a pale red yesterday.

"The same way I can read your mind," Atem replied with firm conviction, and he decided to lift his tail out of the water, putting himself on full display. This tactic had worked previously, so it must work this time.

Undeterred, Kaiba hovered his hands over the keyboard once more, doing his best to ignore the merman's advances.

There was a long, tense silence before Atem spoke up.

"Get me a flat bristled brush," he demanded, smoothing his hands down his tail and feeling his scales shedding horribly. "And a wide plate."

"What?" Kaiba asked incredulously, not understanding the purpose for these items, and he stared at the merman, watching him preen his tail with quick downward strokes before peeling several shimmering scales off his palms with a look of disgust on his face.

"What are you doing?" Kaiba cried, leaping to his feet so fast, his chair clattered noisily behind him, and Atem threw him a nonchalant look.

"I'm going through a shed."

Deciding to question it later, Kaiba quickly left the room to gather the items Atem requested.

Atem watched him go, and a swirl of frustration sat low in his stomach.  
His plan was working.  
The goal was to get the human to approach him willingly.

After a moment, the door opened and the human returned carrying a wide silver tray along with several black brushes sitting atop its shiny surface.

Kaiba approached the merman nervously and gently set the tray down on the ground beside him.

A tanned hand shot out to grab his wrist, and Kaiba froze, his skin burning from the sudden cold touch.

"Got you!" Atem said gleefully, giving Kaiba's arm a hard yank and tumbling into the water on top of him, feeling him thrashing and shouting angrily back at him.

Freezing cold water invaded Kaiba's nose and mouth the second his body was dragged underwater, and he kicked out in fear, fighting against the arms which were wrapping firmly around his shoulders and hanging onto him tightly from behind while a thick tail snaked firmly around his waist.

Holy fucking shit.  
He was about to be killed, or drowned, or worse, bit and poisoned….

"Stop struggling or I _will_ bite you," Atem growled in the human's ear, feeling the human still suddenly before finding his footing in the pool and managing to stand.

With his heart pounding ferociously in his chest, Kaiba planted his feet down onto the pool floor and shivered violently, his body quickly growing numb from the intense cold.

If he remembered correctly, this water was roughly negative three degrees Celsius.

The cold from the water itself could kill him, so warmth from the merman's body was strangely welcome, seeping in through the thin fabric of his shirt, and a hot breath tickled his ear as the merman laughed triumphantly, giving his shoulders a tight squeeze.

"Play with me," Atem demanded, pressing his lips tightly against the shell of Kaiba's ear and giving it a playful bite, enjoying the way he shivered in response. "Are you cold? I'll make it warmer for you."

Kaiba blinked, feeling the fishy tail tighten further around his body for a moment before a trickling heat enveloped him, and suddenly, the water began emitting steam.

His fingertips hurt from the sudden warmth, and Kaiba tentatively reached down to touch the scaly tail that was still firmly looped around his waist.

It felt warm and oddly mucous. Taking a deep shuddering breath, Kaiba wondered if the merman would keep tightening his grip around him like a snake, slowly squeezing the soul out of him.

Frozen to the spot with a mixture of fear and anticipation, Kaiba did nothing, and felt the merman's hands padding down the front of his chest, clawing at the fabric of his shirt.

"How annoying!" Atem smiled, holding his pointer finger up in front of Kaiba's nose and showing him a single, sharp nail before he dragged it down the front of his shirt, ripping the fabric apart in the water and watching the pieces bob away gently.

Kaiba blinked rapidly, understanding that the merman was…stripping him.

"Turn around," Atem coaxed, giving Kaiba's body an encouraging squeeze with his tail. He could suddenly feel how fragile the human spine was.  
One violent twist in the wrong direction could result in this human's death

"No thanks," Kaiba managed through gritted teeth, and the merman's tail encircled his waist even tighter, almost choking the air out of his lungs.

"Then we can play like this," Atem insisted, hating how limited his own knowledge was of the human body. "Make me feel good."

Kaiba swallowed thinly, his mouth growing dry and his skin burning hotter while he became more accustomed to the temperature of the water.

"And you'll let me go…afterwards," Kaiba said hoarsely, unable to believe how far the tables had turned, and the merman let out a hair-raising laugh.

"Indeed!" Atem jeered, baring his fangs completely and making a snapping motion at Kaiba's neck, deeply enjoying the way the human tensed in his grasp. "Glad we can understand each other now."

Stiffening uncomfortably, Kaiba took a careful step forward, his eyes fixated on the edge of the pool. If he got up on land, he could overpower the merman….

"Not a chance," Atem growled, reaching forward to grab a fistful of the human's hair and yanking his head back so far that their eyes met. "Even on land you are weaker than me."

Kaiba swallowed his rage and chose to remain silent.  
There was no way out for him. The merman had latched onto his back like a heavy sack of flour and his tail was so long that even while wrapped around his body, the ends were swishing over the tops of his feet.

Trapped.

"There is a way out," Atem smiled thinly and released Kaiba's hair, seeing him jerk his head defiantly out of his grasp and keep his gaze facing forward. "I want your mouth again. I've never felt anything like that before."

"You've never had sex before?" Kaiba asked nastily before he could help himself, and the merman fell eerily silent behind him. To his surprise, the arms around his shoulders loosened slightly.

Atem frowned thoughtfully at the back of Kaiba's head, staring at the soft swirl of brown hair, thinking back to all the times he had had sex with a female. It had been quite uneventful.

"It's different with you, a human," Atem insisted, leaning forward and pressing his cheek tightly against Kaiba's and smiling again. "Now make me feel good. That's an order."

Kaiba let out a delirious bark of laughter which echoed sharply throughout the basement and he shut himself up quickly. Goddamn. There really was no way out until he sexually satisfied the merman.

Growing impatient, Atem let his hands wander down Kaiba's bare chest and across his torso, searching for his slit.  
Humans were similar to mermen, right?  
There had to be a slit leading to their manhood somewhere.

"Come on…human, take it out," Atem coaxed, dragging his nails across one of Kaiba's nipples and smirking at the shiver he earned. "Where is it? Where is it…I'll find it on you."

Kaiba froze when hot hands stopped under his navel and began slipping down into his pants with force. It seemed the merman wasn't going to bother with the zipper?!

His own hands shaking, Kaiba moved to unbutton his pants and heard the merman hiss in his ear. "Don't you dare try that. I _will_ bite you."

Kaiba bit his tongue so hard, he tasted blood for moment before he managed to speak. "Let me show you."

"I see," Atem said pleasantly, his tone changing instantly. "Explain what you are doing."

"I'm wearing something called pants," Kaiba replied furiously, thinking the merman was going to be treated to a special edition of Seto Kaiba's Flaccid Penis if this conversation kept up.

"I see," Atem repeated blandly. "I'm not interested in that."

"Understood," Kaiba growled through gritted teeth, shakily pulling his zipper down and pushing his pants off his hips with a great effort.  
Damn, this was humiliating.

"And? What's this?" Atem asked curiously, sliding his palm up and down along Kaiba's hip and bunching his underwear uncomfortably between his legs. "A second protective layer?"

"Under…wear," Kaiba breathed, his cheeks impossibly red and his ears burned while the merman pressed his bare chest against his back sensually.

"Your skin must be weak and thin," Atem commented brashly. "Take it off."

Kaiba felt a delirious laugh clawing its way up his chest, but he did as he was told, slowly hooking his thumbs over the band of his underwear and pulling them down halfway, hearing the merman chuckle in his ear.

"It's here, isn't it?" Atem cried, delighted. He slid his hand down Kaiba's stomach, quickly grazing past his pubic hair to roughly grab ahold of his flaccid penis. "It's…so small."

Kaiba wavered dangerously on the spot, seeing flashes of white and green every time he blinked.  
This was not going to work.  
If the merman was going to ask mundane questions about underwear every step of the way, he would forever be sporting an anti-boner.

"Let go," Kaiba said hoarsely, giving the tail around his waist a firm pat. "Turn me around, and it'll feel good."

The tail tightened around him fiercely in response.

"How do I know you won't escape?" Atem demanded, his stomach curling unpleasantly at the thought of the human kicking him away. "I don't trust you."

"I will not struggle," Kaiba said stiffly, hating himself deeply. "I am a man of my word."

Atem frowned and contemplated this for a moment. Was this true?  
This man had taken his crown, but had given it back untouched even though it bore the stones he sought so desperately.

Kaiba held his breath, amazed when the merman's tail loosened around his body and released him, so he carefully turned around to face Atem, finding himself nose-to-nose with the merman. A pair of plump, beautiful lips hovered inches from his own.

Kaiba stared intently at the merman's lips, his mind slowly growing numb along with his body. They were so pink, and they looked…so soft.

Without thinking, he pressed his lips forward and relished in their plushness, enjoying the sharp tang of salt from the water that mingled in with the merman's unique taste.

Atem blinked rapidly, his stomach twisting with sudden arousal at the way the human had nibbled on his lower lip. Before he could fully enjoy himself, an incessant stream of Kaiba's thoughts invaded his consciousness.

 _Oh fuck, he could spit in my mouth and kill me. I'm literally, willingly, drinking his spit right now. Wait, but he said he could control the acidity in..._

Atem let out a low growl, Kaiba jerked away quickly, his blue eyes wide with panic.

"Listen to me right now, human." Atem clapped his hands down on either side of Kaiba's face, the tips of his claws coming dangerously close the corners of Kaiba's eyes.

Kaiba took a deep shuddering breath and held it, feeling the merman's nails digging almost painfully into his cheek while he spoke.

"I will not kill you, because you will release me one day. You don't easily live past a hundred years, so that day will come soon. Understood?"

Kaiba nodded stiffly, barely able to move his head.  
So then what the fuck was happening right now?

"Since you insist on keeping me as your pet fish," Atem continued gleefully, making references to Kaiba's previous thoughts, aiming to shake him. "I want to learn about you during my stay here, and you will make it enjoyable for me."

Completely at a loss for words, Kaiba nodded again. Sure, whatever. Didn't matter. He was aroused now and he ached for another kiss.

Slowly raising his arms out of the water, he gently cupped Atem's face in his hands and pulled him closer, kissing him hungrily, feeling the merman freeze for a moment before reciprocating with vigor, flicking his tongue out to meet his and giving his tip a lewd swirl.

Atem smiled happily to himself, enjoying the wonderful heat coming from Kaiba's chest pressed up against his own.

Kaiba's mind grew hazy again, and he began to lose himself quickly, moving to drag his lips down Atem's neck and giving his collarbone a playful bite. His skin tasted wonderfully sweet, and that mixed in with the salt from the water was a unique experience.

Breathless with excitement at the thought of Atem's hot length wrapped around his own, Kaiba slipped his hand down the front of the merman's chest, traveling lower and expecting to find the wriggling tentacle waiting for him, but to his surprise, there was nothing but a smooth expanse of scales.

"You've got to find it," Atem said wickedly, thinking the earlier removal of the two pants had been a game, and this was payback. "You'll never find it."

Kaiba let out a low hiss, glaring at the merman. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Yes," Atem replied indignantly, and he let out a stifled gasp when cold fingers pressured the spot directly above his slit, sending a jolt of electricity up his spine. That was a new feeling.

Kaiba let Atem squirm in his arms and he narrowed his eyes, slowly grazing his knuckles down each layer of scales, mentally counting them. He had to be close.

There was a soft spot giving away underneath his one knuckle and Kaiba tentatively slipped a finger underneath a loose scale, and to his surprise, his finger was enveloped by a wonderful warmth.

Oh wait…holy shit.

Atem bit his lower lip while his breathing increased tenfold. Deeply excited, he let Kaiba gently slip his finger in and out of his slit with agonizing slowness, causing a wonderful thread of warm pleasure to pool in his stomach.

Who knew…that this would feel amazing too.

"Continue," Atem insisted, tightening his arms around Kaiba's neck and giving the end of his tail a heated flick, curling it around one of Kaiba's slender calves, rubbing him up and down excitedly. "It feels good."

"Does it…?" Kaiba breathed, his boner aching painfully when he wondered if he could stick his dick…into this spongey warmth. "What happens if I put two fingers in? Or three?"

"I don't know," Atem replied defensively, hating that the human was still asking irritating questions. "I said…keep going."

Terribly aroused, Kaiba wrapped one arm around Atem's waist and slipped his finger into the soft hole as far as it would go, earning an excited gasp from the merman, and he felt the ends of the fish tail give his calf another encouraging up and down rub.

"Does it…hurt?" Kaiba asked, barely able to get the words out as he ground his hips forward, enjoying the way the tip of his own dick rubbed pleasurably up against the soft ridges of Atem's scales.

"No," Atem replied faintly, slowly reaching down to touch the hardness that was poking against his hip, and his fingers wrapped around a stiff, hard length.

Shocked, he glanced down in the water, wondering why it was suddenly so big.

"Let me put it in you," Kaiba said, thinking he sounded like a complete asshole, but to his astonishment, the merman nodded eagerly.

"Yes, do!" Atem said, and before he could fully process what the human meant by that, the stiffness found his entrance and rammed into him with surprising force, stretching the skin around his slit almost painfully.

Stars dotted his fading vision, and Atem could feel his own manhood writhing inside him in protest, the sensation sending violent shocks of pleasure running up and down his entire body, so much that it was hard to breathe.

"Oh...f—" Kaiba gasped, his head spinning as he saw white. A tight heat sucked him in and massaged his tip wonderfully. He was dimly aware of Atem's ecstatic cries, but his ears were ringing because the merman's arms had wrapped so tightly around his head, he couldn't feel his ears. He was fully aware that they weren't even moving their hips, but Atem's hole pulsated with such heat and had a mind of its own.

Was this…okay?!

"Yes…yes it…is…fine," Atem breathed, barely able to form a coherent sentence when Kaiba tensed his thighs and began to pull out slowly. "No…No! Don't…"

Kaiba grit his teeth and surged forward so fast, the water swirled powerfully around them. He pressed Atem's back against the wall and gave him several firm thrusts, growing lightheaded the tighter Atem's tail wrapped around his waist and enjoyed the tight heat enveloping his dick.

Amazing. Amazing!  
Atem shut his eyes and lost himself in the new wonderful sensations. Kaiba's stiffness would ram into him and cause his manhood to curl deliciously low inside of him, each thrust bringing a foreign and feral desire rising with fiery pleasure to consume his entire being.

The relenting waves of ecstasy were becoming too much to bear, and a sharp pain was building low in his stomach.

Atem let out a frustrated hiss. "Take it out, it hurts!"

And Kaiba did so, instantaneously. He risked a glance down in the water and saw Atem's length finally emerging to wrap thickly around his own penis and give him a few teasing strokes, causing his knees to grow weak as his body was assaulted with unrelenting shocks of searing pleasure.

Atem shut his eyes once again and threw his head back, letting the human kiss and bite down along his neck. Cold hands roamed up his chest to give his nipples several sharp pinches, while below, his manhood was happily wrapped around Kaiba's dick, sending violent threads of heat searing through his chest and stomach each time Kaiba thrust his hips forward against his curling and writhing tentacle.

He pressed his mouth back onto Kaiba's lips and licked the fronts of his teeth. A wrenching orgasm assaulted his body and Atem shuddered happily, his vision fading into white as he rode out the pleasurable waves, each stronger than the last.

It was getting hard to breathe, and the water was growing unbearably hot, but Kaiba paid it no mind.  
He was experiencing the best sex in his life.  
It was nothing like anything he had ever imagined.  
The slippery warmth from Atem's tail was comforting against his back and legs, while a naughty tongue was sucking and tugging relentlessly at his excited dick, which was weeping for release.

Atem's hands were curled happily in his hair, and his tanned, soft skin, tasted like exotic candy. The combined sensations were enough to make him cum passionately into the water between them, and Kaiba's knees finally gave out, but the merman held onto him tightly, keeping him upright in the water.

Atem felt the human relax alarmingly fast after releasing, and he purposely wrapped himself tighter around Kaiba's body, enjoying the way the human stiffened and shuddered uncontrollably underneath him.  
It was the most powerful and marvelous feeling.  
Atem shivered happily, listening to Kaiba's ragged breathing beside his ear and the way his heart thudded rapidly against his chest.

Speechless, Kaiba shut his eyes and rested his chin on Atem's shoulder, his mind buzzing with a pleasant warmth. The merman's arms tighten protectively around his neck.

"Somehow…" Atem whispered hoarsely, his body trembling with residual threads of pleasure, "…that was even better than the last time."

Kaiba nodded wordlessly and shivered as the water grew colder and colder. That had been so good, it had to be unreal. He let himself relax into the merman's grasp, his mind spinning with conflict.  
Would it feel this amazing every time?

The merman's tail fell off his body but his toned arms remained draped over his shoulders.

Kaiba's vision blurred and he leaned forward to kiss Atem, relishing in the tenderness of his lips, sighing happily.  
Right…this was fine. That had just been the most interesting and amazing sex he'd ever had.

The water was properly cold again, and Kaiba shivered violently, earning himself an apologetic look from the merman as he was released.

Without hesitating, Kaiba climbed out of the pool and hurried to the door, sopping wet and freezing.

Atem leaned back into the water and watched him leave. The door slammed loudly, echoing dully in the chamber, and he sighed contentedly after flipping himself over to float his back.

 _I understand now_ , Atem thought darkly, holding his hand up over his eyes, feeling his heart still pounding excitedly in his chest.  
Humans were lewd creatures and extremely considerate when it came to making love, at least, the human Seto Kaiba was.

He shut his eyes and recalled the last time he had a sexual encounter with a mermaid, and he quickly pushed the thought out of his mind.

Upstairs, Kaiba stood shivering in the shower, nauseous from the cold.

He let the hot water cascade down his body, warming him up quickly.

His mind was oddly blank as he scrubbed his body down with soap, and a slimy silver film clung stubbornly to his leg.

Terrified, Kaiba frantically scraped it off, wondering if his skin was absorbing the merman's semen, but the film came off in one solid sheet, thin as paper and completely transparent, oddly shaped like an oval.

A scale?

A mixture of curiosity and disgust curled in his stomach and he held it up to the light, seeing tiny veins running through it, almost as if he was looking at a piece of transparent human skin.

Deciding to keep it for further inspection, Kaiba shut the water off and stepped out, drying off quickly and keeping the scale wet in his palm.

He strode over to his desk and set it down on the surface, his hair still dripping water as he bent down to watch the light shimmer off it.

A spark of excitement and intrigue had been lit inside of him, so Kaiba hurriedly toweled his hair dry and rushed to get dressed.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

another sex scene  
kaiba is interested in atem in more ways than one.  
atem is enjoying the newfound pleasures of human sex.

Edited by: SetoKaibaes/marshmallons

Ugli is quite tired but I push on! Please leave a review! My bunny's wound is healing, and all will be right soon!

(hugs hugs hugs)


	6. Chapter 6

Kaiba sat at his desk in his office with his face in his hands, his stomach churning with turmoil.

For the past few days, he had thrown himself into his work, performing a series of tests on the merman's venom, saliva, and the single scale before sending them all to his most trusted lab technicians for a second opinion.

He had then sent the semen to a separate lab, deciding it was too embarrassing to say how he'd managed to obtain it if he was asked by his own staff.

But he had not slept well at all since his last sexual encounter with the merman, and his own thoughts were driving him mad.

He had almost died thrice during that ordeal.

If the temperature of the water didn't kill him first, the merman could've easily snapped his spine in half given the way he had curled his tail around his body. And even if that didn't happen, the merman could've scratched, bit, or spit on him at any time.

Every breath shook dangerously with each shallow inhale, and Kaiba pressed his palms into his eyes, willing himself to calm down.

The merman had said something about changing his mind about killing him, and if sex was what he was interested in now….

Kaiba leaned back into his chair and gazed up at the ceiling, staring at the bright strip lights above his head.

God…was he really going to have a sexual relationship with a mythical creature he'd captured in his basement just for more samples from his body?

He inched forward and poised his hands over the laptop, quickly sending another mass email to his lab staff.

Deep sea research was temporarily cancelled.  
Focus on ocean clean-up only for the next week.  
Send.  
The phone on his desk rang quietly, and Kaiba picked it up, listening to his secretary's voice drifting in through the receiver.

 _"Mr. Kaiba, you have a meeting downstairs in ten minutes…."_

Kaiba hung up and sighed again.

It was strange.  
Usually, he'd be exhausted after not sleeping well for several days, but his mind was oddly clear and his skin was less dull.

Chalking it up to the fact that he had been eating well, Kaiba shoved the thoughts of the merman aside and focused on his work.  
This event, like all other strange moments in his life, would pass.

Studying the merman was just another bonus in his search for the stone with the sparkling blue cores.

* * *

Atem was bored.

He dove to the bottom of the pool and resurfaced again, splashing about aimlessly.

The human had not shown his face for a while. He didn't know how long, because there was no way to tell the passing of time in the dark room.

There wasn't a hatch to the sky like there was in the other enclosure, and Atem was beginning to sorely miss the sun.

Fresh night air would be nice too.

But the human _was_ listening to his demands.

An ageing human man had been wheeling in his meals on the silver cart twice a day, and would leave quickly without even looking at him.

Frustrated, Atem gave his tail a furious flick, feeling the water cascade down around his shoulders, the sound echoing thinly in the room. Maybe he could see his own captivity as a vacation of sorts.

There were no responsibilities for him here, but Atem found that he couldn't stop worrying about Mana, Mahad…and the others.

Atem folded his arms behind his head and floated lazily on his back.

Mahad…his most trusted and loyal advisor had chosen to serve beside him as his personal protector, even though his skills as warrior would've been far more useful guarding their hemisphere.

What was he doing now?

* * *

Kaiba gazed at the row of sharply dressed businessmen sitting on the plush chairs outside his meeting room, all looking eagerly at him through the glass, and he rolled his eyes.

Why were there so many of them?  
This was going to be agonizing.

"I'll be calling in the first one." A woman to his left spoke up quietly, pulling her laptop closer towards her chest. "Or should we invite them in alphabetically? Or by subject?"

"I'm interested to hear them by subject first," a man on his left said genially, smiling kindly at a bright-eyed young man who was staring intently at them from his seat. "Not by who they're related to in this industry. That would be unfair. Mr. Kaiba?"

"Doesn't matter," Kaiba answered coldly, thinking that these two venture capitalists he had chosen to partner with were too soft. "Call in the first one."

Fairness wasn't a concept that existed when presenting new ideas to investors. They were either good, or bad ideas.

"Let's hear from this young man," the woman said warmly, showing Kaiba her screen. "It seems mildly related to what you are currently invested in."

Kaiba eyed the document suspiciously, skipping over the odd foreign name at the top and reading the proposal's title.

 **"Deep Sea Mining: Searching for Secrets Hidden in Unexplored Ocean to Better Humanity"**

"A little vague, don't you think?" Kaiba growled, the hair raising on his arms as he wondered if this was a strange coincidence.  
No.  
This only meant that he was headed in the right direction, and peasants with no money were already at his heels with a similar concept.

"I think his writing is quite vague too, maybe because he wants us to hear it from his mouth. Or is it woman?" the man on his left said, nodding. "Call them in."

The woman on his left talked into the receiver on the desk, calling out a number.

Kaiba curled his fist slowly, watching a tall man wearing strange robes rise to his feet and walk towards the glass door, and Kaiba's heart stopped in his chest the moment he got a closer look at this man.

He was handsome and muscular, wearing thin, golden bands on his toned arms, and his skin was eerily similar to…the merman's.

Kaiba's mouth grew terribly dry and he reminded himself to keep his thoughts in check.

If he was indeed one of Atem's men, then he wasn't safe here, even in the confines of his own building.

"Welcome. Please state your purpose," said the man to his left, and Kaiba blinked slowly, his ears ringing with dread, using all of his remaining effort to keep his mind blank.

"Hello. My name is Mahad. Nice to meet you all." The man bowed deeply and Kaiba ground his teeth, staring at the many golden rings on his tanned knuckles.

The small stone on one of his rings had a fiery blue core.

"My proposal requires full cooperation from JOGMEC*. I believe Mr. Kaiba has already procured an agreement with them," the man said evenly, in perfect Japanese. "So this partnership would be greatly beneficial to you."

Kaiba tucked his tongue between his teeth, chewing lightly.  
He had no reason to help this man.  
Why should he help this man?  
The partnership would benefit _him_ more.  
He needed at least one good reason—

"You should consider partnering with me because I know my way around the deep ocean," the man continued, looking directly into Kaiba's eyes, and Kaiba froze, noticing that his eyes were a stunning deep violet color.

C-Contacts.  
Cosmetics.  
He was wearing contact lenses to a professional meeting.  
What a freak.

"…Both of my parents were marine scientists and I grew up near the…"

Kaiba stopped listening and began chanting tongue twisters to himself in his head.

 _There are 3 frogs hopping. Here come another 3 hopping frogs. In total, there are 6 frogs hopping._

"Mr. Kaiba?" the man addressed him directly, drawing him sharply back to the present.

Doing his best to hide his surprise, Kaiba threw the man a cold look and sat up straighter, saying nothing.

There was a stifling silence blanketing the room before the man spoke again.

"A bit off topic, but my eye color is completely natural. Am I boring you?"

"Why are you here?" Kaiba asked instantly, unable to help himself, and he wondered if he would get a real, truthful answer.  
This man was definitely not an entrepreneur, and didn't look as if he cared about what he was presenting.

 _He knows I'm lying!_ Mahad kept his expression pleasant and managed a thin smile at the man with blue eyes sitting in the middle. _How?!  
_  
The human Seto Kaiba was sitting in the middle, so did that mean he was the most powerful? But the other two were putting out more money, and money was king to these humans, was it not?

Mahad had barely done his research on the man named Seto Kaiba, because the other two humans were his target, and now he was sorely regretting not having done a better job.

The only thing he knew about Seto Kaiba was that he was also interested in deep sea mining, but was no friend to the environment. At least, that was what the news articles said, so this man was automatically his enemy.

The other two human's thoughts were more pleasant, running along the lines of _"oh how nice_ " and, _"he sounds like he knows what he's talking about,"_ but the middle human's thoughts were pure nonsense!

He would not fail Atem now.

Beginning to sweat, Mahad steeled himself to continue the words he had prepared for these humans, focusing his attention on the handsome man in the middle, but was interrupted rudely by another stream of thoughts.

 _Look at his color …must spend a lot of time in the sun. Or not. His hair is so damn long. Is he wearing makeup? Looks like eyeliner. Claims his contact lenses are his natural eye color...hilarious! What a freak._

Beginning to lose his patience, Mahad addressed the middle human again, this time, letting the anger show on his face.

"You have a problem with the way I look, hu—Mr. Kaiba?" Mahad bit his own tongue, realizing he had almost slipped up and addressed the man as "human" instead of by his name.

" ?" Kaiba taunted, daring himself to smile, and he felt a rush of pure certainty.  
Great. Freak confirmed. Now what should he do? Call his guards to throw this man as far off his property as possible or…question him about his rings?

"Mr. Kaiba, please, the man is nervous," the woman said, giving his arm an awkward pat and addressing the entrepreneur before them. "Please continue, you were saying?"

 _I forgot!_ Mahad thought wildly, on the verge of panic.  
He had been interrupted by that vile man in the middle. Damn him.

"Don't bother," Kaiba drawled, examining his nails and briefly wondering if that man could smell the sex on him. "He doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about."

Mahad balled his hands into fists at his sides and tucked them behind his back, his ears burning.  
Oh…this human was sharp and very difficult to fool.  
Maybe this was a bad idea.  
But he couldn't go back empty handed.  
Everyone would be so disappointed in him.  
To top it all off, this man was thinking about his rings…and sex?!

The actions of humans never failed to astound him, and Mahad briefly wondered if bringing this man's head back on a stick would suffice as proof that he had done his best in his search for Atem on land.

Kaiba gave the man an appraising look and addressed the venture capitalists at his sides. "I'm interested in him, but not his work. I want to interview him privately for something else. Do you mind if I take him now? I'll be back in time for the last few."

Mahad blinked rapidly, unable to believe his ears. What? Was the human going to hire him? Just like that?

"I knew you'd be interested! The first one too!" The woman at his side smiled warmly, and the man on his left laughed heartily.

Kaiba grit his teeth and stood quickly, motioning for the man to follow him, and he strode out of the meeting room, eager to keep a wide distance between them.

Mahad stood dumbfounded in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do with himself, so he bowed to the two remaining humans, listening to their thoughts while they offered him words of congratulations.

 _"Mr. Kaiba would make a fine businessman out of him! He looks so foreign, but speaks so well! Perhaps that's what sold him!"_ was what the woman was thinking, and the man's thoughts were less supportive.

 _"Mr. Kaiba's interest is in him as a person, not his actual venture. He won't get very far, but perhaps would earn a spot on his team."_

Mahad hurried out of the room and was startled at the amount of negative energy that waited for him past the doors. All the businessmen in the line were glaring at him and thinking venomous thoughts.

 _"…Only picked because he looks the way he does…"_

 _"A private meeting with Mr. Kaiba himself. I hate him."_

 _"It's true Mr. Kaiba only hires beautiful people. The divide is real and unfair. I envy that man."_

 _"He even dressed in his own clothes! My suit was so expensive, I had to grovel and borrow money from my father…!"_

Thoroughly shaken, Mahad followed Seto Kaiba towards an elevator and was surprised to see the man step in without waiting for him.

The door closed quickly and Mahad was left standing awkwardly at the doors, his fury rising steadily.  
This human was so aggravating!

Kaiba pressed a hand to his chest and sagged against the elevator wall, his heart thundering painfully in his chest.

Holy fucking shit.

He gazed down through the glass, making sure the merman was a mere dot underneath him before he let himself loose inside his own head.

A walking merman.  
A walking…merman!  
They could grow legs!

Growling to himself, Kaiba stepped out of the elevator and made a mental note to test how far Atem's telepathic range was. There was no way the merman could read his thoughts all the way up here.

 _"Only when you're vulnerable,"_ Atem had said.

"Mr. Kaiba?" His secretary rose to her feet and bowed as he stormed past, and Kaiba shut himself in his office, sweating nervously.

There was no fucking way he was standing in the same enclosed space as that man. Did they still have poisonous claws and fangs while in human form?

Atem said he had summoned his men by communicating with them somehow, so the main goal was to find out… _how._

Mahad stepped out of the elevator and strode angrily towards the office doors and knocked furiously, ignoring the woman who came rushing up behind him, telling him to wait.

He was done waiting. If this human held influence over other humans, it was just as good as talking to a king.

The woman bowed nervously at him and knocked on the door, calling out to the human, "Mr. Kaiba, do you have a meeting with a foreigner?"

"No, but let him in," came the reply, and Mahad swallowed tensely, furious that the human had answered to the call and instead of his knock.

The woman opened the door for him, and Mahad brushed past her, seeing the human standing at the far end of the room, holding a drink in his hand while gazing out the large glass windows.

Kaiba gripped his whisky and tossed it back in one gulp in a desperate attempt to calm his nerves. He would not lose to this…freak. Here, he was in total control.

 _A cruel maniac_ , Mahad thought angrily to himself, catching Kaiba's thoughts about control. And here he had been hoping to have an encounter with a kind human, but everyone knew that those were rare.

"Let's get to the point," Kaiba said firmly, setting his glass down onto the table with a clink. He watched the merman's eyes follow him. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Mahad," the man answered, his eyes never leaving Kaiba's hands on the empty glass.

"Would you like a drink, Mahad?" Kaiba asked plainly, thinking he would repeat the strange name as much as he could to remember it.

Mahad blinked, taken aback by the sudden hospitality. "A drink?"

"Yes, pick your poison," Kaiba said, smiling as brightly as he could manage.

"Poison?" the man repeated, and Kaiba nodded stiffly, his stomach churning with triumph. Whenever his hunches panned out, it was satisfying to watch.

He pointed at the wet bar in the corner of his office and watched the man's eyes widen with curiosity.  
Predicable.

"Anything is fine," Mahad replied, wondering if the human was really going to poison him with a drink.

"It's an expression. Relax," Kaiba smirked, catching a look of fear and confusion flitting briefly across the man's face, and he walked towards the bar, keeping his back to the man to hide his own shaking hands. "You'll have what I'm having. Sit."

Mahad glanced around the room, seeing a plush leather couch behind him, and he walked hesitantly towards it, feeling extremely odd.

The man had seemingly read his mind.  
Did humans have telepathic abilities too?  
If so, a telepathic human was rare, and there weren't real documented cases.

Kaiba waited until he heard movement behind him, and he turned around, pleased to see the man sitting awkwardly on the couch. He made his way over to him with the two glasses and handed him one, finally getting a closer look at the man.

His cheekbones were sharp and defined, and his hair was a dark chestnut brown. Underneath his robes, he appeared to be extremely muscular.

Mahad accepted the drink with both hands and lowered his head respectfully, unsure of how to behave with this human.

Deciding to remain silent to listen to his thoughts, Mahad sniffed the drink tentatively.  
It smelled like spirits. What a treat…!  
A rare and festive drink, one which he'd only had a few sips of collectively throughout his entire life, and…this human here had handed him an entire glass….

Deeply shaken, Mahad took a light sip, enjoying the way the drink stung his tongue, and a pleasing warmth traveled down his throat. Marvelous.

Was this human a king of sorts?

The human's thoughts were now louder than ever, given their proximity.

 _A bodyguard, perhaps,_ Kaiba mused, eyeing the golden rings that sparkled on the man's finger. _A royal bodyguard. Not just any plain one._

Mahad choked on his second sip and coughed painfully.

Kaiba bit his lower lip in an attempt to keep the smile off his face. Being right was a great feeling.

Mahad wiped his mouth gingerly, finally understanding after piecing together what the other humans had been thinking. This man, Seto Kaiba, did not want him as a partner for a business venture, but as a bodyguard.

Unfortunately, he was already a bodyguard…for Atem.

"Mr. Kaiba…" Mahad spoke, using the politest tone he could muster, and was interrupted readily.

"Now that you've got me," Kaiba said, smiling thinly. "You can tell me what you really want."

Mahad narrowed his eyes at the human, waiting to hear more thoughts from him, but there was nothing. The man was truly waiting.

"I—" Mahad began, and he was interrupted again.

"Answer truthfully," Kaiba fumed, tapping his nails against his glass. "I don't want to hear bullshit about mining or about your qualifications. I know it's all lies."

 _This man…._ Mahad growled to himself, willing his expression to remain pleasant as he tried to come up with an acceptable answer.

There was a thick silence, and Kaiba noticed for the first time that the man had an envelope tucked under his arm. Papers? This guy had seriously brought papers to back up his bullshit stories? Amazing. How the fuck did he do it?

Mahad blinked rapidly, his resolve quickly crumbling when he realized the human could immediately see that he was a fake.

"Let me see those," Kaiba said nastily, pointing at the white envelope under Mahad's arm, which almost blended in with the man's robes.

Mahan glared and kept his grip on the envelope. "No. You will hear my request first."

There weren't just papers in there to back his story.  
He had also brought a photo of Atem…just in case he got close enough to a human who would be willing to help him, but this human was not his first choice.

His journey on shore was going badly, and nothing was going according to what he had predicted. His first target had been the kind woman, and not this man.

"Then speak," Kaiba answered simply. He crossed his legs and leaned back into the seat, watching the man's expressions carefully.

Mahad gazed into the man's clear blue eyes, desperately wishing for a positive thought from the man, but there was nothing but an eerie silence.

Did this man…not have any thoughts? The silence was unnerving!

Perhaps this was why this man was so revered.  
Very well. Anything to help his beloved Atem.

"You're right," Mahad said after a long moment, and he watched the human give him a tight nod, encouraging him to go on.

"I have no interest in what I wrote in my proposal. I am looking for someone with influence who will help me. Can you help me?" Mahad asked keenly, and Seto Kaiba narrowed his eyes at him.

More silence, so Mahad pressed on, throwing caution to the wind. "I'm looking for this person."

Kaiba watched the man slip a hand into the envelope and pull out a sheet of paper, but before showing him what as on it, the man held it close to his chest, his hand shaking slightly.

"Please," Mahad said, realizing he was doing something very dangerous. "I have no one to turn to, and I only applied to this because I saw that there was a similar interest between us."

This man had metal ships in the water that were currently mining for something.  
He had access to land and water.  
Having this powerful man's help would save Atem, whose time was probably running out.

"Just shut up and show me what the fuck it is," Kaiba said rudely, and the man gave him a long, cold look before handing him the sheet of paper.

Kaiba snatched it out of his hand and his blood ran cold when he found himself staring at a sketch of a familiar face. Dark smooth skin, wide angular eyes, beautiful spiky hair, delicate features, and a playful smile curved on plush lips.

A beautiful drawing.

His stomach churned with a mixture of anxiety and fear while he reminded himself to keep his mind blank.

Kaiba carefully uncrossed his legs and crossed them again the other way, arranging his face into a pleasant smile. "Who is this?"

Mahad gazed intently at the human's face, listening to his thoughts for a reaction, but there were none, other than _"a beautiful drawing"._

On the bright side, the human was smiling kindly and looked interested.

"My…cousin," Mahad lied, and was met with a wry smirk.

"Really? Your cousin," Kaiba repeated, thinking he was sure this man was a bodyguard unless incest was rampant. "You look nothing alike."

Mahad tensed, and glanced down at the drink in his hand. This man was unlike any human he had ever met.

He took a few sips, biding his time while trying to figure out a way to answer this question without telling another lie to the human.

"He is someone I care deeply about," Mahad said truthfully, letting the alcohol sit pleasantly in his stomach. "And he's gone missing. I was hoping someone like you, someone with power, could help me."

"I'm not the police," Kaiba answered bluntly, glancing down at the drawing again. "But I'll keep this as a reference. Can't help you."

"No police would be able to find him," Mahad said dully, now wondering if he ought to tell this human some more truths. Truths seemed to get them somewhere.

"There was a scream," he began, and Kaiba snapped his head up to stare at Mahad, his heart pounding fearfully in his chest.

"And it sounded like a panicked scream," Mahad pressed on, pleased to see that the human showed an inkling of fear at this detail. "Everyone heard it, and a massive search was held immediately, but we were unable to find him."

"Oh yeah?" Kaiba said, reverting back to his impassiveness, but he badly wanted to know what the man meant.

Oh, he was stupid. He could just ask inside his head.  
How massive was massive?  
Couldn't have been that effective, could it?  
They clearly didn't do enough searching.  
Also, why was he searching here, in Japan of all places when he clearly looked like a foreigner?

Mahad bristled at the man's thoughts.  
Was this human belittling their search efforts?!  
They had searched entire ocean! Nothing had turned up, which was why he was now on shore! The worst had been assumed, and here he was, asking for the help of a lowly human to find one of their own.

"Listen here, human," Mahad growled before he blinked and paused, mentally kicking himself. Oh no…he had messed up.  
This human valued power and respect.  
He had greatly insulted him by not addressing him by name!

But to Mahad's rising confusion, the human grinned and Kaiba's blue eyes gleamed with a strange fire.

"Right, I am human," Kaiba said gleefully, folding the sketch in half and tucking it into his blazer pocket. "Get out of my office."

Mahad grit his teeth and bowed his head forward quickly in an apology. "Please forgive me."

"No, I think you meant it," Kaiba said lazily, rolling his glass in his hand while holding back laughter. "Get out before I have my men throw you out."

"I'm asking you kindly," Maha growled, his chest tightening with a mixture of fury and humiliation. "I will do anything. Did you want to hire me on as one of your staff? I will do it."

"No, I don't want you anywhere near me," Kaiba replied venomously, eyeing the man's hands carefully and noticing that they looked incredibly normal and human. "But I am interested in the jewelry you're wearing."

Mahad blinked incredulously, wondering if his own ears were deceiving him.  
Did human greed know no bounds?

"My…jewelry?"

"This one in particular," Kaiba raised his hand and pointed at his own bare forefinger. "The blue core. Love that color. Where'd you get it?"

And to his extreme delight, the royal bodyguard looked deeply stunned.

Mahad tried to calm his racing heart.  
This man wanted his ring? His _signet_ ring?!  
Or rather, this man wanted to know where he got it?

"This ring…" Mahad said, feeling his throat closing up and choking him. "This was given to me by my cousin, the one I showed you a photo of."

"Okay, and where did _he_ get it from?" Kaiba asked lazily, taking a sip of his drink and noticing that the man had finished his. "Want more? I'll pour it for you."

He grabbed the empty tumbler from the man's hands and strode back to his wet bar, eager to get away from him.

Mahad sat very still, his stomach sinking lower and lower.  
This man was not only sharp, but also sought the rarest stones in existence?

But if Atem had been captured by a human and was on the brink of death, trading his ring for the help of a human who could also search from the sky…was worth it.

"I will give you this ring," Mahad said shakily, staring intently at the human's slender back.

The clinking of glass was pleasant as the human busied himself with drinks and did not answer.

"I will give you this ring if you help me find my cousin," Mahad said firmly, regaining his composure. "My family fears he may be dead. We are worried about him."

The human walked back toward him with the entire bottle and one glass filled to the brim with dark liquid.

"I don't want your damn ring," Kaiba growled, setting the whiskey down on the table between them, wondering if the bodyguard would talk faster if he was drunk. "I want the gem in the middle."

"Even _I_ don't know where the gem comes from!" Mahad gasped, paling. The hunters kept the cave locations a secret, even from the royal family.

"I don't believe you." Kaiba smirked playfully, and saw the merman reach for the full glass, his hands shaking visibly again.  
Okay, fine.  
Maybe this guy really didn't know where they came from, but he knew something. He had to.

Mahad took a big gulp and managed to say truthfully, "It's a trade secret," attempting to deter the human from asking about it further. "No one knows where to get them, aside from the people who…hunt…for them."

"Right, and you're not a hunter." Kaiba rolled his eyes and was met with a shocked look.

"I am not," Mahad replied indignantly, willing himself to stay composed. Why was this human scaring him so much? Humans were harmless.  
But this one didn't feel quite right.

…If the stone was what this human wanted, their treasury was filled with a collection, given to the royal family as gifts by hunters from over the centuries. Perhaps with enough finessing, he could ask Shadi for access….

"Then I can't help you," Kaiba said, sneering. "But you sure like your alcohol. Try not to stumble on your way out."

"No! I can procure—I can give you a gem," Mahad said nervously, gripping the glass tightly. "One even bigger than this. The size of a chicken's egg. How does that sound?"

"Great!" Kaiba's eyes lit up and he grinned again. "That big, huh?"

"Yes," Mahad replied firmly, his stomach churning with uncertainty. This human's smile was strangely charming. "And I'll do you one better. One gem per search unit."

"What?" Kaiba frowned, no longer understanding. What was this guy asking him to do again?

"Find my cousin," Mahad said, exasperated. The human had forgotten everything the moment he mentioned the gem. Typical greediness.

"Yeah, I know," Kaiba snapped, losing his patience. "What do you mean by search unit?"

"You have...access to men, don't you?" Mahad said nervously, realizing he didn't know how humans conducted searches for their own missing.

"Interesting. You don't know how it works, do you?" Kaiba said gleefully, giving Mahad another mean smile. "Okay, let me explain something to you in a way you'll understand."

Mahad sat very still, the tiny hairs on his arms standing on end.

"Do you know who I am?" Kaiba asked loftily, and he answered his own question. "Of course you don't. Look out my window. Do you see the view? I own this city. So, this is my…kingdom, if you will."

Mahad stared so hard at the human, his eyes began to water when he forgot to blink. Ah…this was the right human to come to. But if this human was a king, he had the worst attitude.

"So here is a counter offer," Kaiba said, standing and holding his hand out to the man for a handshake. "You will give me your contact information. I will see if I can use the gem for my purposes, and while I'm doing that, I will also send out search teams."

Mahad stared at the man's outstretched hand, slowly digesting his words.

Contact. Giving information to a human for contact.

That was forbidden.

Give this man a large gem from their treasury, which he would have to end up stealing if no one was willing to support the human part of the search….

Punishable by death.

"Counter-counter offer," Mahad said haughtily, setting the glass down and also rising to his feet, looking the human straight in the eye. "I give you a meeting location. You go there, and I will have the gem ready for you. In return, you must give me your word that you will find my cousin."

"If you're sure he's still in the country." Kaiba grinned, holding his hand out further, eager for the agreement to go through. "I will find him and bring him to you, and I am a man of my word. But if he's dead or overseas, I can't do it."

"Then I shall call you with a meeting location later," Mahad declared, grabbing the man's hand and giving it a firm shake. "I agree to this deal. You sound honest."

 _That's because I am_ , Kaiba thought mildly, very pleased with the deal. Calling this man up here had been a great decision.

Mahad nodded and released the man's hand, his skin tingling strangely.

The human handed him a tiny plastic card.  
He accepted it while bowing stiffly, watching as the human did the same before picking up the bottle of spirits and handing it to him.

"For your troubles," Kaiba said icily, still eyeing the ring on the man's hand. Damn…he really wanted to get his hands on it now. Right the fuck now, but this man was walking out of his office….

Mahad accepted the bottle with both hands, listening to Kaiba's rapid stream of thoughts. Giving Seto Kaiba his ring would prove that he had done a noble thing on land in his attempt to bargain with a human.  
It was good thing, to go home without the royal ring.

Kaiba watched with rising interest as the man pulled the ring off his finger and held it out to him in his palm, smiling coldly.

"Very well, you may have this," Mahad said.

Kaiba reached out to gladly take the ring, feeling a rush of vicious triumph.

Good. He could melt this down without any guilt.

Mahad swallowed and did his best not to react, but Kaiba saw the color leave the man's face.

"I suppose…I'll see myself out," Mahad whispered, bowing again and backing out of the office. He turned and hurried out through the door, raging internally.

This human was going to _melt down_ his signet ring!

Wishing he had known that before handing it over, Mahad stabbed the elevator button with fury, gripping the neck of the bottle so hard, his skin burned.  
And he had gotten a bottle of fresh spirits for it in return.

It was fine. Rings could be re-forged. Giving it up signified he was willing to do anything for Atem, even sacrificing his position in the royal court.

This businessman Seto Kaiba was skilled in making his deals, and Mahad was beginning to understand why this human was so powerful.

Kaiba watched the walking merman step into the elevator and sink from his view before he yanked the sketch of Atem out of his blazer pocket for better inspection.

He unfolded it and stared at the even strokes surrounding the dark liner of his angular violet eyes.

Unmistakable. This was the face of the merman currently being held in his basement pool.

Kaiba placed the golden ring onto his desk and inspected it closely.

It had to be a seal, or a signet ring of sorts.

A delicate triangle surrounded an abstract carving of an eye. Embedded in the center of the eye as its pupil was the glowing stone with a dazzling blue core.

Finally. Fucking finally! He had something to test on.

Extremely excited, Kaiba grabbed his laptop and shoved it into his briefcase, eager to get home. Today had been a triumphant day.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Mahad grew some legs and is on the hunt for atem  
Kaiba makes deals he's sure about because he knows he can deliver, and that is what makes him a good businessman. Honest? Not so much, but he sure can deliver.

[1]asterisk JOGMEC - Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation

edited by setokaibaes/marshmallons

 **ugli story time!**

Many of you who have been reading me for a while may recall a blanket official statement i put out A YEAR AGO regarding **harassment** , and im here to refresh that, because the said-harasser has returned with full vengeance, still holding a grudge, over something that happened between us personally.

I'm not here to play victim, because i understand that it takes 2 people to have a dispute, and a dispute _was had_ , but

instead of keeping the details of this personal dispute...well, _personal_ ,

MORE DETAILS are added and she has turned the entire side of her story into one giant finger, pointed at me, calling me several mean names which I will not repeat here :)

 **furthermore, she has been private messaging everyone around me.** and has been doing so for the past year.

PMing all of my current editors. (like, do you think they wont come talk to me about what you're saying? girl, stop!)  
Pming All of my mutuals in the fandom,  
Pming anyone i tag on my blog  
anyone i call a friend...basically anyone she can reach, to tell them this wonderfully inflated story of our PERSONAL dispute.

Dear (redacted name of the person im referring to):

PLEASE. STOP SPREADING FALSE RUMORS ABOUT ME IN THE FANDOM.

(what do you gain from it? you're honestly making yourself sound crazy cuz the people you talk to, come message me saying: omg this crazy person just came up to me randomly out of nowhere talking shit) like?! im honestly laughing rn, girl, stop. u making urself look and sound crazy.

This will be the last time i'm going to address this publicly because you're making it super public to the people around me, so here is my super public (and last) response:

1) i dont want to give you any more time or attention (its all very negative and not great for my mental health tbh)

2) it has been **a year** (and some months). A YEAR, HON. I been living my life, while you spend your time hating!

Move on from it please, for your own sake. You'll feel a lot better, i promise.

3) We are in the same fandom. We like the same stuff. You don't have to attach my name to it. (again, thanks, i guess...but im more disturbed than anything.)

4) i also guess im flattered that you're starting an ugli-hate club. (thumbs up, confetti)

if YGO for you equals- hating on ugli, writing smut for urself and your friends, hating on ugli again, messaging other ppl about why they should hate on ugli, then...great.

im glad thats what you get out of this fandom.

thanks for reading leave a comment ok bye! :D :D

xoxo  
Ugli


	7. Chapter 7

Atem swam around in a lazy circle, feeling oddly worn out.

He'd never gone this long without seeing the sun or breathing fresh air.

The air seemed fine here, but he was indoors.

 _I don't want to die here, even if it is fun to play with the human,_ Atem thought wearily, flipping over onto his stomach and swimming to the edge.

He laid his head down on the marble surface and sighed, wondering if he should pray again. No, praying was stupid and useless, especially when no god could hear him this far away from the water.

This was exactly how his mother had perished.

Here, he was comfortably fed and watered, but was still feeling the effects.  
His mother might have been in a smaller pool and had probably suffered in her last hours.

There was no human container that could sustain his needs, especially when open water and open air were what he really needed.

Sighing, Atem closed his eyes and willed for sleep to come, feeling tears pooling annoyingly underneath his lids. The human would be angry if he was offered more gemstones.

It seemed that Seto Kaiba was irked by the gems, instead of appreciative, like all other humans he had encountered in his life, and that was the single most startling thing about this man.

Atem lolled his head to the other side and breathed deeply. Sleep…. Sleep….

* * *

Kaiba stood beside three of the scientists who were grouped around him at his elbows.

He stared at the results they had presented him, unable to believe his eyes and ears.

The saliva was useless. It tested as plain, human saliva.  
The venom was also useless. It was potent, but there were other snakes in the world whose bite proved deadlier.

But the scale, the singular scale was the saving grace! It had regenerative properties!

"So you're telling me…" Kaiba said hoarsely, holding the electronic pad closer to his face, reading the notes on the side. "It healed your papercut."

"It healed my childhood scar, Mr. Kaiba!" A scientist piped up, sounding positively ecstatic. "Cut off a sliver, and just placed it on my skin. Waited several hours, and it was like magic!"

"We can refine this and make it into a serum," another scientist added nervously, swiping her finger on the screen and showing Kaiba a chart. "If we can extract the blood and skin cells out of it, it would make an amazing liquid. Where did you find this? It's positively miraculous!"

"We wanted to do more tests on it," the third scientist spoke up, nodding in agreement with her coworker. "But there wasn't enough of it left to do a test spin in the centrifuge. Do you have more of this strange…epidermis?"

"It is quite like human skin," the first scientist said unhelpfully. "But when enlarged…" he reached for the pad and tapped on it, showing Kaiba a magnified image of Atem's scale. "Frightening, isn't it?"

"Yeah, terrifying," Kaiba replied, his mind spinning with excitement and renewed vigor. The merman had an endless supply of scales. He could obtain more very easily.

"May we ask where you got it from?"

And all three of his scientists looked at him hopefully for an answer.

"This may surprise you," Kaiba said blandly, and he quickly decide to partially lie. "I got it from a man. He's got a large supply, so I'll go relieve him of it."

"Amazing!" the second scientist cried, clapping her hands together with joy. "Buy him out! Think about all the sick children or battle-worn soldiers we could help with this!"

"And if your supplier runs out stock, we'll have enough to find a way to replicate it," the third scientist added, smiling warmly.

The other technicians in the lab raised their heads to stare at them and began applauding.

Kaiba's ears rang tinny with the sounds of their applause and his knees grew weak.

If what they were saying was true, then he had happened across something miraculous.

"Thank you." Kaiba held his hand up shakily and the applause faded. "Another project. This takes priority until I can get more of that regenerative film."

He handed the nearest lab technician the signet ring in a sealed plastic bag, and she bowed after accepting it with both hands.

"Run tests on the stone in the middle. Avoid melting it down if you can."

"Thank you Mr. Kaiba," one technician said, bowing deeply to him as he made his way to the door. "Working for you is such an honor."

There was a murmur of agreement echoing behind him, and Kaiba found himself speechless.

Walking quickly into the elevators, he folded his arms tightly across his chest and waited for the doors to slide shut, seeing his technicians waving at him with friendly goodbyes.

It was getting hard to breathe.

Kaiba loosened his tie and leaned against the elevator, extremely lightheaded.

Time to pay the merman a visit tonight.

* * *

Atem perked his ears up, hearing footsteps approaching the door, and he kept his eyes closed, still half-asleep.

It had to be Seto Kaiba.  
The old human had already come in twice today.

Kaiba stepped into the basement and closed the door gently behind him after seeing the merman fast asleep, with his head propped up under his arms on the marble edge.

"Atem…" Kaiba spoke quietly, approaching the edge and standing a few feet away. "I have something for you."

The merman did not react, and Kaiba gazed around the basement, seeing no new changes other than another small pile of glittering gemstones in the far corner of the pool, sitting beside stacks of golden armbands.

Had he been crying…again? Damn.

Guilt bubbled low in his stomach and Kaiba shoved the feeling away roughly, calling out to the merman again.

"Atem, wake up and tell me who Mahad is."

Atem's eyes shot open and he blinked, gazing up at the human. His breath caught slightly in his throat when he realized he had forgotten how handsome this human was up close.

"Mahad?" Atem repeated hoarsely, wondering how Kaiba had managed to discover the name of his bodyguard. "How do you know that name?"

"First tell me who he is," Kaiba replied impatiently, fully ready to play the merman's give-and-take questioning game. "And then I'll tell you how I know him."

"You _know_ him?!" Atem cried, raising his head up off his arms to stare incredulously at Seto Kaiba. "Well I suppose that's not unheard of. Mahad is a strong warrior and my right-hand man. He protects and advises me on matters happening in the kingdom."

"So I was right," Kaiba said to himself. "A royal bodyguard."

"Now how do _you_ know him?" Atem demanded, flicking his tail nervously behind himself, creating thick waves which caused the water to splash over the edge. "Go on, speak!"

"He _walked_ into my office," Kaiba said gleefully, reaching into his blazer pocket and pulling out the sketch. "To give me a present."

Atem pulled himself out of the water and sat nervously on the edge, holding his hand out for the paper, "Let me see it!"  
He felt a rush of intense gratitude towards his protector.  
Mahad had visited this human? How did Mahad know?!  
That was his Mahad after all, always close at his heels as his most loyal guard.

"First, you tell me how he sprouted legs," Kaiba said lazily, keeping the paper folded and sticking back into his pocket. "Then you can see the message."

Atem took light shallow breaths, his ears ringing with incredulity. So many questions were churning around in his mind, he could barely think straight.

Mahad had sent a message?  
Seto Kaiba had seen Mahad with legs?

Then it meant Mahad must have done something terribly forbidden in order to walk on land. But he had gotten close, and had given Seto Kaiba a paper message!

"Well?" Kaiba pressed, wondering if Atem growing legs had anything to do with his regenerative scales. "Come on. If you tell me, I'll give you the message. I'll even tell you everything about our meeting."

Atem held his breath and stared intently at the shiny watch sitting on Kaiba's wrist.

Fine. Fine! He would tell Seto Kaiba anything if it meant he could see a message from Mahad.

"Mahad probably committed a crime," Atem said weakly, his head spinning sick at the thought. "Or he bribed someone to let him into the Chrysalis."

"What the fuck are those words?" Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Explain."

"Different regions call it different things." Atem fumed, curling his fists at his sides. "Some call it a Moon Pod, or a Gene Pool, but my kingdom calls it the Chrysalis."

"Right, and?" Kaiba pressed, now interested. He walked over to the table and dragged the plastic chair noisily across the floor, placing it directly in front of Atem before sitting down in it. "Keep talking."

"You soak in the pool and grow legs," Atem continued, thinking that this was obvious already. "Many warriors used it to war with humans long ago, but those days are over, and access to the Chrysalis has been forbidden for many centuries."

"You were at war with us on land?" Kaiba said, wondering how the fuck merpeople even began to manage that. "War between us is stupid. You don't need anything from land to survive underwater."

"That is true," Atem raged, now passionate about educating Kaiba on their cause. "It was a war to defend ourselves. Humans wanted our riches, which we gladly gave, but it was never enough. Human greed is terrifying and never-ending."

"Right, because you all cry gold and silver." Kaiba rolled his eyes, and he was corrected vehemently by the merman.

"Precious stones. Gold and silver are metals that our bodies can't produce. Everyone knows that."

Kaiba stared at Atem for a long moment before bursting out into laughter.  
Sure! Everyone knew that!

Now thoroughly worried, Atem watched the human laugh and laugh, the sounds echoing pleasantly in the large chamber.

"Okay…okay," Kaiba breathed, his sides aching while he composed himself with a great effort. "Anyway, back to this…Gene Pool, this Chrysalis—"

"Mahad is a warrior, so of course he knows the location of a Chrysalis," Atem interrupted, eager to please the human with information. "Similar to how hunters will never reveal the locations of the demon's caves, it's all secret."

"Wow," Kaiba said, tucking a hand under his chin and leaning forward. "Cool."  
His hunch had been correct.  
Regenerative scales held the ability grow legs. It made a lot of sense.  
Very cool.

Atem gave the human a strange look. Cool? He had just divulged ancient knowledge, and all the human had to say for it was 'wow, cool'?!

"Now let me see the message," Atem said readily, holding out his hand which was now dry. He had been sitting on this edge storytelling long enough.

Kaiba nodded happily and slipped the paper out, handing it quickly to Atem and watching him unfold it.

Atem stared at the drawing of his own face, his throat closing up at the familiar stokes.

Priestess Isis had drawn this with extreme care.  
And it was dry, with not a speck of water on it, which meant Isis was also on land, or Mahad had asked her to surface long enough to draw this.

The thought made his stomach churn so hard, he grew nauseous.

Everyone in the kingdom was looking for him.  
Everyone…was putting their lives at stake to find him.

"You better release me soon," Atem said shakily, feeling a horrible pressure building behind his eyes again, but he held strong. "Everyone is looking for me."

"You lied to me," Kaiba snickered, completely oblivious to Atem's distress. "You said you could communicate with your men. You clearly can't if he's walking around handing flyers out with your face on it."

"Yes, I lied about that!" Atem cried, losing all semblance of his front and deciding to be completely honest. "My people are in danger the longer they keep looking for me. Please, Seto Kaiba, release me. I know you are kind man—"

"Oh shut up, I know you don't think that," Kaiba growled, rising to his feet and spotting the silver tray sitting at the corner of the pool.

Stray scales!

He rushed to it excitedly and was dismayed to discover that it had all dried out.

The shoe brush he had provided was right beside the tray, so he picked it up to tentatively poke at the pile of dried scales, seeing them flake at a single touch.

Oh fucking shit.  
These needed to be kept damp, as he had suspected.

"What are you doing?" Atem asked, horrified to see the human poking at his dead scales on the tray. "That's disgusting. Toss it out before it begins to mold."

The human turned to give him a blank look before his face split into a handsome, boyish grin.

"I'll make you another deal, merman. Are you interested in hearing my offer?"

Atem narrowed his eyes at the human, attempting to read his thoughts, but there were none, so he nodded stiffly. Whatever it was, this human wasn't after riches, so it ought to be safe.

"I will come down here to brush you as often as you need it." Kaiba held up the shoe brush and wiggled it playfully in his hand, unable to stop smiling. "In return, you let me keep the scales you shed."

"You're offering to do me two services, human," Atem smirked, quite pleased with this deal. "Why do you want my dead scales?"

"I'm collecting them," Kaiba answered truthfully, knowing the merman wouldn't care for this answer, and he was right. Atem lost interest and gazed intently at his necktie.

"What is that? You always wear it, and it is loose today," Atem said, pointing at Kaiba's silk tie. "That rope around your neck."

"I wear it because I like the way it feels," Kaiba said, giving the flaky scales another poke before picking up the tray and moving to dump the contents messily onto the table. He could sample and pick those up later. Right now, he needed fresh ones to test on.

"Need help?" he asked, holding up the shoe brush and giving Atem a tentative smile.

"If you wish to do such a demeaning and mundane act," Atem said pleasantly, flipping his tail happily up and down on the damp marble surface. "I won't stop a man who wants to throw away his own dignity."

"Right," Kaiba muttered under his breath, walking to the edge and kneeling at the end of Atem's tail. "Is there a …certain way to do it?"

"Logically, you brush in the direction from which the scale grows out," Atem replied smugly, folding his arms across his chest and enjoying the human's interest. "Downwards, and never against the folds. Its uncomfortable."

"Got it," Kaiba breathed, bracing himself.

Gripping the brush in his palm, he gave merman's tail a long stroke downwards. When nothing happened, he did it again, and again, seeing several clear oval films catch on the edge of the brush and follow him down to the ends of Atem's fins.

Perfect.

He carefully lifted the brush and laid the shining scale flat across the silver tray.

Atem watched with rising curiosity as Kaiba peeled apart each one with his fingers and arranged them in a neat row on the tray, slightly overlapping. He rolled his eyes.

"Why are you being so careful? You can discard it carelessly," he said, waving his hand across his nose. This human was ridiculous!

"I want them…neatly organized," Kaiba replied through gritted teeth, knowing he was being laughed at, but he didn't care. This stuff should be treated with care because it was more valuable than liquid gold.

"What?" Atem cried, laughing heartily as he caught a thread of Kaiba's thoughts. "My dead skin is like liquid gold? Wouldn't you rather have real liquid gold?"

"Shut up," Kaiba replied, his ears burning as the merman's laugh rang pleasantly around him.

He continued brushing Atem's tail in smooth downward strokes, feeling his shoulders beginning to ache. Damn, this was hard work. But it would be worth it…not to have a scale stick on his skin after sex.

Atem froze with surprise when he heard this thought, and he gave the ends of his tail a playful wiggle, watching the human carefully place another stack of wet scales onto the silver tray and duck his head down, continuing to brush him with care.

The human didn't like the scale sticking to him after…sex. So, the human wanted to play with him after all!

"Tell me," Atem said warmly, enjoying the way his lower body tingled every time Kaiba gave him a particularly strong downward stroke, "Did you miss me? How long were you gone?"

"Several days," Kaiba answered emptily, his stomach once again churning with guilt when he realized the merman had no way of telling time in this room. "Yeah, sure, I missed you."

"Oh good, I missed you too." Atem smiled, feeling relieved. It would be bad if the human lost interest and forgot about him. That wouldn't happen, right?

"Forgive me for asking again," the merman spoke up again, and Kaiba peeled another stack of scales off the brush, running his hand along the freshly brushed patch and enjoying the warm, smooth feel.

Beautiful….

"What?" Kaiba said absently, his mind wandering sinfully.

The sheen of the merman's tail really was mesmerizing. There were also many layers to the scales, so he had to go over the same spot many times, but the result was a luscious red color with gold veins threading through the upper scales.

The tail waved slowly in his vision, narrowly missing the tip of his nose, and Kaiba jerked back awkwardly, glancing up to meet Atem's heated glare, his cheeks wonderfully pink.

"Yes, I know my tail is pretty," Atem said, his heart fluttering wildly at the compliments raining down on him from Kaiba's thoughts. "Now tell me, when are you planning to release me?"

Kaiba swallowed thinly and resumed brushing the other side of Atem's tail, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. Soon. Possibly after the stone came back from testing.

"Good, 'soon' it is then," Atem said mildly, giving his tail a happy wave while his skin tingled pleasantly. "It's been a while since someone has brushed me. The last person to do it was—"

Atem stopped talking abruptly and Kaiba glanced up nervously, seeing a pained expression on his face.

Ah shit…what was it now?

"Just say it, and turn over," Kaiba growled, slipping another couple of transparent scales off the brush and admiring the healthy stack sitting on the silver tray.

Atem eased himself onto his side, letting Kaiba graze the brush over his hip and all the way down to the middle of his tail.

There was a brief silence before Atem managed to compose himself and say, "My mother."

"You miss mommy?" Kaiba answered playfully, hoping to lighten Atem's mood, but to his dismay, the merman's face continued to darken.

"If you continue to keep me here, I'll die the same way she did," Atem said, his voice trembling with denial. "But I know you'll let me go before that happens."

Kaiba said nothing and kept brushing Atem's hip, hating how the atmosphere had grown heavy with sorrow when it had been mildly romantic only a minute ago.  
So the merman's mother had died after being captured.  
Unsurprising.  
If she had been captured before humans had access to good technology….

Kaiba shook the thought out of his mind and ran his hand down Atem's smooth hip, pleased with his work.

"Other side, turn over."

Atem obliged, staring at the human's hands and at his slender fingers. They were thin and long, almost like a siren's.

The strokes down his hip were long and even, sending warmth traveling down to the tips of his tail, and Atem dared himself to enjoy it.

The silence in the chamber was comfortable, with only the slicking of the brush filling the air between them, and the occasional pause when Kaiba would pull away to discard the scales onto the tray.

"Your sides are finished. Turn over again," Kaiba said simply, his arms aching.  
This was going to be so worth it. He couldn't wait to see the faces of his scientists when he presented them with the stack of scales.

Atem rolled over onto his stomach and allowed the human to stroke the ends of his tail with heavy precision.  
He couldn't deny that this felt nice.  
The last time a mermaid offered to clean his tail, she had done it half-heartedly and in a rush, only because she had been expecting sex afterwards.  
It was similar here, wasn't it?  
Was this human expecting playtime after the grooming session?

"Tell me what you do for a living, human," Atem said kindly, and he heard Kaiba's thought as an immediate answer.

 _How the fuck do I explain it to him in a way that he'll understand?_

"I'm not a child you know," Atem bristled, throwing Kaiba a look over his shoulder, growing warmer the higher the brush traveled up his backside. "If you're eloquent enough, I'll understand."

Kaiba nodded, nervous as his brush grazed over where he thought the merman's ass would be. "I make and sell technology. You know, computers and phones...?"

"I see," Atem replied pleasantly, tucking his hands under his chin and closing his eyes. "And what does your Mokuba do for a living?"

"He's a kid, he goes to school," Kaiba answered stiffly, discarding another stack of scales onto the tray and dipping his hands into the water to lightly splash them, making sure they wouldn't dry out.

"Oh, school! We have those," Atem nodded, pleased to hear a topic he was familiar with. "I've learned about human schools—"

"Do you have an asshole?" Kaiba interrupted, running his hands up and down Atem's curved backside, wondering if he could find a hole the same way he found the slit.

Atem bit his tongue so hard, his eyes watered.  
Well, yes, but he wasn't going to tell the human that.  
What if the human wanted to stick something in it to take a sample?  
How humiliating.

"No," Atem lied, his ears burning with a strange heat while Kaiba poked and prodded at him, dangerously near his asshole. "Don't bother. I don't have one."

"Okay," the human replied, sounding oddly disappointed, and the gentle, even brushing resumed.

"Do the front now," Atem insisted, turning around heavily and leaning against Kaiba's arm, making sure it was trapped underneath him. "Hurry up, this is getting boring."

Kaiba grit his teeth and nodded. Spoiled royal brat.

"I heard that," Atem said haughtily, his angular eyes flashing dangerously at Kaiba. "Keep calling me names, human, and see where it gets you."

Kaiba smiled to himself and continued brushing, travelling higher and higher. He realized the closer he got to the top, the less loose scales there were.

"It's tiring to do the bottom half," Atem said lazily, eyeing the brush that grazed suggestively over his hip again. "It's strenuous, isn't it? You've already done that spot."

 _I know_ , Kaiba thought darkly, and a tanned hand reached out to grab him by the tie, pulling him close, their noses almost touching.

"We're finished. Now we play," Atem said happily, aching for some entertainment. "Go on, take off your protective layers and let me watch."

"Give me a fucking second," Kaiba breathed, his heart thundering rapidly in his chest, and he jerked back forcefully out of the merman's grasp. "I need to preserve these."

He dropped the brush on the ground and swept the scale-laden tray up in his arms before hurrying out of the basement, slamming the door behind himself with a loud bang.

Atem blinked, his heart sinking when he found himself alone in the room again.

His tail felt wonderfully light and refreshed, but the human had just…run away.

Growing angry and impatient, he crossed his arms firmly. He would stay dry on the edge until the human came back.

Upstairs, Kaiba ran into the kitchen and hastily poured the scales into a large plastic bag. He sealed the top and loudly called for Isono.

Footsteps came pattering into the kitchen and Mokuba came running, throwing his arms around his waist in a tight hug, almost toppling him over.

"Seto! You're home—ick, you're wet!" Mokuba cried, pulling away from his brother and gazing down at his shirt. "Now I'm wet! Ugh."

"Look at this," Kaiba said triumphantly, showing Mokuba the plastic bag filled with scales, and his brother wrinkled his nose. "Ew, what is that? They smell."

"Dead scales from his tail," Kaiba said readily, and his manservant appeared in the doorway, bowing deeply.

"Master Kaiba, welcome back."

"Deliver these to the lab," Kaiba ordered, placing the wet bag of scales on the kitchen counter and shivering from the cold. "Now. Before the temperature changes. They need them fresh for best results."

"Can I go? Please, please?" Mokuba begged, his eyes shining with hope. "I wanna see what else you've been doing!"

"Sure, but be good," Kaiba said shakily, wondering if he really was dismissing his own brother so he could peacefully fuck the merman downstairs without being heard or disturbed…not that they'd ever find out he was doing such a thing.

Mokuba cheered and followed Isono to the front door. Kaiba listened until he heard the door slam before he headed back down to his basement lab.

Atem listened intently, hearing footsteps approaching the door, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Good, the human was coming back to keep him company.

Even if there was going to be no playtime, his company was welcome. Everything was terribly boring when there was nothing to do.

Kaiba stepped into the basement and shut the door quietly, noticing that the merman was still sitting on the edge, waiting for him expectantly.  
Seeing him there felt really weird.

The merman smiled handsomely at him, flashing a row of brilliant white teeth, "I'm bored."

"You say that a lot," Kaiba said under his breath, slowly shrugging his blazer off and draping it over the chair, cursing internally when he saw he had forgotten the dried scales on the table.

"You're really hard to distract," Atem frowned, "Stop thinking about those disgusting scales and look at me."

Kaiba gazed listlessly at the merman, wondering if he was walking himself towards his doom. Atem was charming and pretty. Two of his main weaknesses.

"I want to see you take off your layers," Atem declared, thinking that would be a fun sight to see. "Right now. Do it right now."

"You're fucking demanding, you know that?" Kaiba shot back, throwing his tie down on top of his blazer defiantly.

"Watching humans disrobe has always been a favorite pastime of mine," Atem answered playfully, "It's fascinating to watch. Each human does it differently depending on the garment."

"Yeah, that's kind of how clothes work," Kaiba rolled his eyes, unbuttoning his shirt and wondering if he had gone crazy. Was he really giving this merman a free strip show?

"A new phrase!" Atem crowed, his violet eyes gleaming with mischief. "Strip show! Explain what that is."

Kaiba stared at the merman, dumbfounded. S-Seriously?!

"Yes, yes," Atem said absently, leaning back on his elbows and throwing Kaiba an alluring smile. "You get to sample all of my things, my scales, my venom…so you must teach me human phrases in return. This way we both learn, and I love learning."

Kaiba stared at the merman and didn't move. This was ridiculous. He was not participating in this.

"I won't ask about it anymore," Atem said hastily to keep Kaiba from running away again. "I was just teasing. Come, sit here with me. I've sorely missed a good conversation."

Kaiba swallowed thinly, fully aware what the ramifications of "sit with me" entailed.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, saving him, and he quickly dug it out to answer it, turning away from the merman, his cheeks burning hot.

Atem glared at the human's back and curled his fists in frustration.

"Mr. Kaiba, we've received the second batch of skin samples," said one of his female lab technicians. "And calling to report our findings about the rock. We can't do much with it. But it is quite pretty. We can give you a more comprehensive overview when you come in tomorrow."

"Send the ring back with the stone attached," Kaiba said stiffly, and he hung up, his stomach churning with nervousness.

The stones with the blue cores were useless.

"Bad news?" Atem asked lightly, seeing Kaiba's aura darken visibly with every passing second. He had heard the passing thought about the dragon's gems being useless, and it made his spirits soar.  
This meant the human no longer sought the rare stones. Crisis averted.

Kaiba nodded stiffly, tossing his phone onto the chair along with his blazer and tie, his eyes burning strangely.

He had almost gone bankrupt for a stupid rock!  
But on the bright side….

Kaiba gazed restlessly at the merman, whose upper body was now completely dry from having been sitting on the edge for the past hour.

He had netted himself a beautiful merman who shed extraordinary scales.

Atem narrowed his eyes at the human, hearing another compliment from the man's thoughts.

"I don't understand you, Seto Kaiba," Atem said finally, thinking he would give up on playtime and roll himself back into the water for a nap. "You refuse to play with me, even though you intend on releasing me soon. Do you know how to have fun?"

Kaiba grit his teeth, feeling himself sweat.  
He was still waiting on the semen results from the other lab, because he wasn't sure if the merman's semen would be harmful—

"You're doing it again," Atem rolled his eyes and slipped the end of his tail back into the water languidly. "We're done here. You may leave."

"I know how to have fun," Kaiba answered heatedly, hearing the merman laugh at him and throw him a condescending look.

"Then why are you still standing there?" Atem asked ruefully, giving his tale a sensual wave. "Come on."

Kaiba felt his head rush strangely and his ears rang sharply while his legs moved on their own, walking to the merman and kneeling beside him, pulling him into a deep kiss.

Pleased and excited, Atem threw his arms around Kaiba's neck and held on tightly, enjoying the way his hands slid roughly up and down the sides of his body.

Kaiba winced slightly the moment his knees hit the wet floor beside Atem's tail, and he could feel the cold water seeping quickly up through his pants, but he ignored it. Atem's heated lips on his own became the only sensation he could focus on and his head swam with arousal.  
This merman was a skilled kisser.

Atem strained upwards, his neck aching, wishing the human would come closer, so he snuck his hands through the back of Kaiba's luscious brown hair and gave it a demanding tug.

Kaiba pulled away breathlessly, gazing deeply into Atem's fiery violet eyes before throwing caution to the wind and deciding to straddle the merman. The air was knocked from Atem's lungs as the human climbed nimbly on top of him and sat down heavily on his tail, leaning forward to continue kissing him, his hot tongue sending a warm shiver of pleasure down his chest.  
Excited, Kaiba grazed his knuckles against Atem's toned abdomen, deeply enjoying every muscled ridge he passed before stopping at a familiar spot below his navel.

This time, Atem's length had emerged without coaxing and Kaiba's stomach still churned with unease the moment he felt the heated wetness curling underneath his palm.

He glanced down at it bravely, his throat tightening with a mixture of arousal and fear at the way the sharp tentacle curled upwards and downwards.  
That still took some getting used to.

Tanned arms shot forward and tugged insistently at his belt, and Atem threw him a mischievous smile. "Just like before. Take it out so we can feel good together."

Blinking rapidly, Kaiba obeyed with numb fingers, hastily unbuckling his belt and sliding his pants down across his hips, his skin burning from the merman's erotic gaze.

Atem's angular eyes widened with glee when he realized there was no second protective layer, and he found himself staring at a neat patch of pubic hair peeking out underneath the strange V-shaped slit.

"This is fascinating." Atem grinned, gently sifting his fingers through the hair and catching a heated stream of embarrassed thoughts from the human sitting above him.

 _Christ, can he stop touching it like that?  
Fucking embarrassing as shit.  
I should've shaved it completely if I had known he was going to make comments about it—_

"I like this," Atem said feverishly, slipping his hand dangerously lower, and his fingertips grazed something hard and warm. "I haven't seen you up close yet."

Kaiba swallowed thinly and inched his pants all the way down to his knees, his cheeks burning hotter than ever at the expression Atem wore when he stared intently at his erection.

Atem reached for it and wrapped his hand around the heated length, breathless with excitement, and he glanced down at his own member, feeling a rush of desire. He gave Kaiba's dick a nice long stroke and gave the end a playful downward tug to meet his own.

Holding his breath, Kaiba watched with rising horror and incredulity as Atem's tentacle came rising up to meet his, the tip giving his own tip a wonderfully lewd swirl, sending a violent jolt of electricity running up and down his legs.

H-Holy shit.

Nervous but excited, Kaiba wedged himself down lower, inching forward and hearing Atem's breaths grow shallow while his tentacle found his stiff shaft and wrapped thickly around it in a happy greeting. It began coiling around him, tightening with arousing force while giving him encouraging up and down pumps.

 _Amazing,_ Kaiba thought faintly to himself, feeling lightheaded and dizzy with happiness. It was like a tongue and a hand had merged together and was continuously pleasuring his lower body without pause, sometimes moving lower along his shaft to give his balls a playful prod before loosening its grasp and giving his entire shaft a heated upwards stroke.

Wet at the tip, Kaiba's knees were trembling in an effort to stay upright, and Atem paid this no mind. The merman stared intently at his own tentacle, watching it uncurl from around the human's cock and slide sensually lower, giving the testicles a vicious rub, and the texture sent a wonderful jolt of fire searing up his body, causing him to shiver happily and close his eyes.

Kaiba tensed, panicking slightly when the tentacle seemed unsatisfied with his front.

It was beginning to travel lower and lower, farther up along his backside, and he leaned forward anxiously, no longer able to think straight when Atem's arms came curling around his shoulders and a warm tongue shoved thickly through the fronts of his teeth, giving the roof of his mouth a ticklish swirl while the heated tentacle underneath him gave him another violently pleasurable rub and slid roughly over his hole before retracting quickly to prod messily at the space underneath his balls.

Kaiba grit his teeth so hard, he saw green, and warm hands cupped his face. Atem's eyes were dark with lust and his lips shining wet with their saliva barely moved when he spoke, "Is it true? I can put myself somewhere inside you?"

Blinking rapidly, Kaiba could barely hear his own thoughts through the waves of searing fire assaulting his body every time the tentacle made a rough up and down the entire length of his groin.  
W-What a feeling!  
A giant tongue was eating him out from underneath, snaking around his dick and curling around it tightly to give it a tight squeeze before licking down his entire crack, leaving him shaking and shuddering for more.

"Seto Kaiba, answer me," Atem said weakly, unsure if he could hold out any longer. The human's thoughts were wandering so far, hearing them almost made him want to wet himself with joy. The human was enjoying it very much it seemed!

Kaiba grimaced as another wave of heat threatened to consume him, and he held his breath, forcing himself to calm down while he reached a hand down to guide Atem's length towards his hole, feeling his hand slipping strangely on the odd lubricant that was coming from the base of the tentacle.

Atem blinked and felt the human sit upright higher along his body, causing his confusion to rise. Before long, the tip of his arousal found a tight, clenching hole, and Atem reached up to grip Kaiba by the arms, holding him down in place on top of him, gazing intently up into his eyes, amazed at the expression the human was currently making.

His pale cheeks were tinted cherry red, and his eyes were closed with his mouth slightly parted while he panted shallowly, his elbows trembling with enormous effort as he spoke, "It-It goes in…there."

Gleeful and triumphant, Atem curled himself forward and pressed his lips tightly against the human's neck, giving him a playful bite before shoving himself upwards directly into the delightful heat, feeling the hole clench deliciously down around him with such tightness, it made his head spin.  
This was…the inside of a human!  
It was hot, and impossibly supple, almost as if the hole was sucking him in willingly.  
Lost in the alien sensations of pleasure, Atem pulled Kaiba close against his chest and began to fuck him in earnest.

Kaiba let out a strangled gasp the moment Atem entered him with extreme ease, and his mind went blank, his vision turning white as the tentacle began thrusting into him violently, stretching him warmly the deeper it went, curling up against his stomach, sending him into a blind frenzy.  
Amazing. This was purely amazing.

He was dimly aware of his own lewd gasps echoing around in the basement every time Atem stayed deep inside of him, hitting a strange, high point below is navel, the hot length filling him up to the brim and wrenching an orgasm from his core, his body shaking uncontrollably when the tentacle extracted itself to thud heavily along his rim to give his balls another rough knead.  
It caused a sharp jolt of pain which shocked him to his senses.

Clenching emptily around nothing, Kaiba gripped Atem's shoulders furiously and shuddered pleasurably, hating that the length was no longer inside.

"Put it…back," Kaiba growled, his head swimming with a dull haze, and warm lips pressed tightly up against his own, silencing him effectively while Atem's hands wrapped warmly around his dick to give the sensitive tip another rub.

"But we've already finished," Atem protested, wondering if the human really was demented. He grazed his hand down Kaiba's muscular chest, enjoying the smooth curves. "You want to go a second time right now? I was trying to be gentle."

 _No, you idiot_ , Kaiba breathed heavily, at a loss for words. He thunked his head down on Atem's shoulder, his heart pounding thickly in his ears while the blood came rushing back to his head in a sudden wave, making him dizzy.

If that was tame sex, Kaiba didn't want to know what rough sex would be like with Atem.

Fading in and out of consciousness, Kaiba shivered from the cold, half-aware that he was somehow fully naked, still straddling the merman's tail.

"Human…are you alright?" Atem cried, giving Kaiba's shoulder a rough shake. "…Kaiba!"

Kaiba pried his eyes open with an enormous effort and leaned heavily forwards to kiss the merman, pushing him down onto the marble tiles and gazing lustfully down at him.

"That was amazing," Kaiba said seriously, and Atem smiled charmingly up at him, his violet eyes sparkling mysteriously.  
Fucking unreal and pretty.

"Then recover, and we'll try a different way," Atem replied, his heart leaping for joy inside his chest.  
The gods had somehow answered his prayers. This human was marvelous.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

another lewd chapter. Kaiba realizes how much fun it is to fuck w a tentacle dick and lets off steam. Atem is happy and aware of the situation knowing mahad is near, and kaiba's thoughts say he's going to be released soon anyway, so he's having some fun.

edited by setokaibaes

leave a review! lmk your thoughts on where this story is going uwu :D

hugs,  
Ugli


	8. Chapter 8

Kaiba silenced his alarm and rolled over in bed, staring up at the ceiling, his mind oddly clear and his body strangely relaxed.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but the sex sessions with the merman were refreshing in more ways than one.

His phone was still buzzing, and Kaiba shut his eyes tightly, reaching for it again and holding it in front of his nose, seeing an unknown number flashing across his screen.

He sat up quickly and answered it, hearing an unfamiliar, deep male voice addressing him by full name.

"Seto Kaiba."

Kaiba frowned. How did this stranger get his personal number?

"It is I, Mahad," said the voice, and Kaiba gripped his sheets tightly, his heartrate shooting up through the ceiling.

"I have a gift for you, the one we agreed upon. Meet me on the beachfront. The address is…"

 _Oh damn,_ Kaiba thought nervously, knowing it was too late to refuse the "gift".  
The stones were useless to him. Scales were what mattered now.  
Also, he had just had amazing, mind blowing, life-changing sex with Atem.  
There was no way he was releasing Atem after something like that.

"Are you listening?" Mahad fumed on the other end, hearing only silence as a response. Was the human chanting nonsense in his brain again?

"Yes, and…" Kaiba paused, making sure to sound as shaken as he possibly could. "We need to meet now. There's something you forgot to mention about your _cousin_."

Mahad's blood ran cold at these words and he gave Shadi an uncertain look over his shoulder before answering the human. "We will talk in person. Come now."

Kaiba hung up and threw the covers off himself, hurrying to get dressed.

There was a soft knock at his door, and Kaiba had just barely managed to buckle his belt before calling out to Isono, "Come in. What is it?"

"Master Kaiba." Isono bowed stiffly and held a plastic bag containing the signet ring with both hands. "Young Mokuba was so interested in the work being done, we slept in the spare rooms at the lab. I hope you didn't mind spending the night here alone."

"It's fine," Kaiba growled, snatching the ring from his manservant, feeling his cheeks burning with arousal at the thought of Atem wrapped around him again. "I'll bring the merman his breakfast today."

Isono nodded plainly and watched the young CEO hurry out of the room.

* * *

Atem heard the wheels of the food cart coming through the hallway and he opened his eyes slowly, feeling oddly lethargic.

He was beginning to understand why sex with humans was explicitly forbidden.  
It was draining and made him lazy.

To his surprise, Seto Kaiba walked into the room, wheeling the food-laden cart, and Atem lit up, smiling at him languidly.

"Good afternoon, Seto Kaiba."

"It's morning," Kaiba said stiffly, edging the cart towards the far end of the wall and leaving it parked there. "Early morning."

Atem nodded sleepily and closed his eyes again, wondering if the human was up for another session. He looked refreshed, and his skin was glowing.

Kaiba set his briefcase down on the chair and began gathering the dry scales into another plastic container, hearing gentle, inviting splashes behind him.

"Human…do you want to play before you leave?" Atem asked sleepily.  
What exciting new sexual wonders did the human have for him today?  
It seemed that every time they connected, each time was more intense than the last, and Atem loved it.

Sealing the bag, Kaiba tossed it into his briefcase before turning around and seeing the water emitting soft curls of steam. His face burned with anticipation.  
Oh, how considerate.  
But he had an urgent meeting.  
But…the water was warm, and Atem was smiling at him so sweetly, it was hard to resist.

Atem continued to smile, hearing Kaiba's thoughts loud and clear.

Kaiba shut his briefcase with a click and sighed.

He walked towards the pool with almost too much eagerness, his conscience yelling at him to stop, but he had already kicked off his shoes and sat down at the edge, sinking his legs into the steaming water, enjoying the way it stung his calves.

His pants quickly absorbed the water and grew heavy.

"You look nice today," Atem said silkily, leaning against one of Kaiba's knees and running his hand up and down his clothed thigh, wetting the fabric so quickly, the color darkened.

Kaiba nodded silently, his thoughts focused on one thing: the intense, mind-bending pleasure from the heated tentacle.

Atem laughed, the sound echoing pleasantly around him and Kaiba bravely eased off the edge and sank into the water, attempting to wrap his arms around Atem's shoulders, but to his dismay, the merman dodged him nimbly, still laughing.

"Can you swim?" Atem asked playfully, and he saw the human's face twitch in annoyance. Was that a yes or a no?

Not in the mood to play hard-to-get, Kaiba lunged at Atem and wrapped his legs firmly around his waist, bobbing lightly in the water and enjoying the hard smoothness beneath him. He pressed tight kiss against his tanned ear and gave it a playful bite, feeling the merman shiver happily.

"Do it quick. I have to go," Kaiba demanded, and to his delight, the merman nodded and obliged.

This time, Atem found it was easier to disrobe the human. After all, he had been receiving so much practice.

He unbuckled the belt with ease and tossed it aside, working the buttons, amazed to feel a hardness there already waiting for him.

"Why are you so eager today, Seto Kaiba?" Atem asked suspiciously, wondering if it was in this human's master plan to drain him of all energy for the rest of his stay.

Kaiba grinned handsomely and held on tighter to Atem, leaning in to kiss him gently, enjoying the soft plumpness of his lips for a lingering moment before pulling away to answer him, "You've converted me."

"Converted?" Atem echoed, mildly confused while his lips stung pleasantly from the residual sensations of their kiss. "I don't know what you mean."

"I mean, you've changed my mind," Kaiba said hastily, baring his teeth and giving the soft flesh on Atem's neck a firm, loving bite. "I like you. It feels amazing, so much that I'll never want to stop."

Atem laughed nervously, and turned his head away slightly, his stomach clenching and curling at the way Kaiba's tongue flicked in and out over his skin, tasting him.  
Oh no…what if he had messed up?

"You're still planning on letting me go, right?" the merman asked faintly, his resolve slipping when Kaiba's slender fingers slid suggestively over his slit and gave him a rough rub, sending a jolt of fiery pleasure shuddering up his spine, and Atem closed his eyes, riding it out and willing himself to remain composed.

"Shut up about that," Kaiba breathed, giving the merman's slit another rough rub, up and down. "Take it out and fuck me senseless with it."

Atem blinked rapidly, his heart clenching at Kaiba's dirty words.

"Don't forget your place, human," Atem said nervously, his tongue twisting on his own words while his arousal throbbed excitedly. "What will you give me in return?"

Kaiba tightened his legs around Atem's waist, his boner already leaking and aching in the hot water. Fucking come on…! Seriously?!

"Yes, I'm serious," Atem said, with renewed conviction, and he ran his hands up and down along the human's clothed legs, which were wrapped so firmly around his waist. "You're still wearing this protective layer here…"

Kaiba released Atem and kicked his pants off with practiced ease, stepping on the hems and freeing each of his legs before forcefully wrapping himself back around the merman's body and grinning impishly at him.

"How about a ring?" Kaiba suggested, running his hand down Atem's bare chest and palming his nipple playfully. "Your royal ring, the one that came off of Mahad's finger."

"You killed him?!" Atem gasped, horrified, and he briefly considered pushing the human off of him, before the human laughed loudly, sending a wonderful shiver up his arms.

"No, you idiot," Kaiba said pleasantly, nuzzling his nose into the base of Atem's spiky blond bangs. "He gave it to me in a gesture of good faith so that I'd find and release you. You can have it back. Check my pocket."

Atem patted Kaiba's blazer and his fingers closed around a plastic bag.

He pulled it out and stared incredulously at Mahad's golden ring sitting the clear folds and he gripped it tightly, his heart pounding.  
Mahad…had given this human his signet ring as a gesture of good faith.  
His bodyguard really put this much trust into Seto Kaiba?

"I paid, now fuck me," Kaiba demanded, tightening his grip around Atem's neck and feeling incredibly pent up. "Harder than before."

Atem curled the ring in his fist and stuffed it back into Kaiba's pocket, surging forward with enthusiasm and pressing Kaiba up against the wall, baring his fangs and resisting the urge to sink them into his soft flesh.

He recalled hearing a rumor that if one fed on human blood while mating, the energy he'd receive would be limitless, but it was considered blasphemous.

Kaiba shivered and shut his eyes, his mind humming with excitement the moment he felt sharp fangs graze across his skin. Was he going to be bitten? It would feel amazing, right? Some pain along with all this pleasure was definitely welcome.

Atem tensed and held back with an enormous effort, his head spinning as he wondered if Kaiba was insane.

The human was asking to be bitten?

Burying the sinful thought, Atem uncurled his length, prodding it tentatively underneath Kaiba's soft testicles, and shoved himself upwards into Kaiba's tight, clenching hole, reveling in the sweet heat that enveloped him steadily.

Kaiba gasped and stiffened, caught off guard by the sudden penetration, his rim stretching painfully as his back scraped against the wall. Never in his life had he wished to be a in a bed more than he did now. The intense pleasure was overwhelming, making it hard to breathe every time Atem thrust into him passionately, and his fingers slipped wetly on Atem's shoulders.

Atem shivered happily, feeling himself sinking slightly due to Kaiba's weight around his body and he braced himself on the wall, placing his hands down on either side of Kaiba's body and leaning into him heavily, his stomach twisting and curling pleasurably with every sharp gasp Kaiba made, and the throbbing heat from where they were connected burned with a strange fire.

Kaiba shut his eyes and threw his head back, his heels slipping dangerously down Atem's bare back, but strong arms held him afloat while he was stretched thickly by the writhing tentacle, and after several more vigorous thrusts, Kaiba could no longer discern pleasure from pain. Everything melted together wonderfully, from the way Atem's heated skin slid up against his to the passionate licks of the tentacle rising higher inside of him, causing his legs to tremble violently against his will as he came in a wrenching heave.

Atem kept his eyes open, drinking in the marvelous sight beneath him, his vision fading in and out as Kaiba's hole clenched deliciously around his dick and milked him steadily, clamping down around him so tight, his entire lower body became numb, causing him to cum thickly in Kaiba's ass. With his lips pressed firmly against Kaiba's parted ones in a hurried kiss, Atem sank beneath the water steadily, letting the warmth envelop them from the shoulders up.

Atem ached to steal the human away and curl up with him on soft sand at the bottom of the ocean, because their standing-floating-while-making-love technique was quite exhausting.

Kaiba's eyes shot open the second water passed the tip of his ears, and he froze, thumping his fists frantically against Atem's back. Suffocating. Drowning. Resurface please.

Quickly realizing his mistake, Atem surfaced, and felt Kaiba pull away from him with a gasping heave.

Water dripped handsomely down his face and his light brown hair matted prettily against his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Atem breathed, reaching forward to brush a strand of hair away from Kaiba's forehead. "Are you alright?"

Kaiba coughed lightly, his eyes and nose stinging from the salt water as he nodded. His ass throbbed strangely, and he grew hot all over when he realized Atem was still inside of him. He shifted uncomfortably, feeling the tentacle curl playfully against the edge of his rim, giving his insides a fiery lick.

He let out a startled yell which was drowned by Atem's hearty laugh, and the merman grinned mischievously at him, his violet eyes shining with mirth. "Remember previously, you said not to take it out."

"Take it out…before I die," Kaiba breathed, closing his eyes and feeling a pounding headache coming on. Amazing. A sex headache.

Atem gently extracted himself from the human and helped him sit up on the edge, eyeing him with pity when he shivered visibly again.

"You should have something here to help you dry off," Atem said, wondering if the human was able to walk, and he watched Kaiba point shakily at the bottom of the pool.

"My clothes…please."

"Of course." Atem smiled sweetly and dove to the bottom, quickly retrieving the clothes and pushing them to the surface, dragging them heavily across the water towards the human.

"Great," Kaiba cursed his own stupidity under his breath.  
Time to walk through the house naked for a dry change of clothes.  
He shakily rose to his feet and stumbled to the door, hearing the merman call after him.

"Bring spare coverings here next time!"

Atem sighed and listened to the door slamming in response.

Now feeling unnaturally weak, Atem rested his head against the edge, his head spinning and his breathing too light. There was a strange pain tugging in his chest and Atem ignored it, sinking beneath the surface and sitting at the very bottom.

He recognized these symptoms.  
It was illness from lack of pressure.  
He needed to be back in deep water as soon as possible.

Upstairs, Kaiba hastily stepped out of the hot shower and got dressed again, making sure to throw his sopping wet clothes into the sink.

Why did he even bother getting dressed the first time around when he went down there?

Irritated at himself, Kaiba checked his reflection in the mirror one last time before rushing out of the room and back down to the basement.

Atem heard footsteps approaching the edge of the pool and he didn't surface.

Kaiba frowned, slowly sweeping his briefcase and phone off the plastic chair and called out to the merman, "I'm off to see your bodyguard. Anything you'd like me to pass along to him?"

Atem swallowed thinly and slowly rose to the surface, only popping his head up to say, "I'm getting sick. Lack of pressure from deep water is giving me shortness of breath and—"

"Yeah we get it, you're unwell," Kaiba snapped, his heart skipping several guilty beats as he turned to leave once more. "I'll ask him where the safest place is to release you without being seen."

Atem watched with a heavy heart as the human stormed off with an echoing bang of the door, and he sank slowly beneath the surface again.

To prolong his health, he would have to stay submerged in the water for as long as possible now, but knowing that the human was planning on releasing him soon, he felt better about his entire predicament.

* * *

Mahad paced the beach nervously, doing his best to shut out Shadi and Rishid's bickering.

"We've kept ourselves hidden for centuries," Shadi hissed angrily, "Why should we reveal ourselves to this human? Why is he different? How do we know he can even help us?"

"The human is powerful," Rishid argued, "If he knows the truth, then we can save Atem sooner. It's useless to keep secrets from someone who can help us."

"Atem could be dead! He will be delivering us a dead body!"

"You should give up your place in his court for saying such things! Atem is alive!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Mahad whirled around to face the empty expanse of ocean behind him, hearing his own voice echoing back over the waves lapping at shore.

Rishid and Shadi glared at each other, leaning against the rock underneath the water.

A long black car parked just past a log fence on the roadside above them, and Mahad eyed the vehicle apprehensively from afar.

"He's here," he muttered to his companions underwater. "Shut up so I can concentrate."

Kaiba stepped out of the car and swept his gaze down across the beach, spying one robed figure and two odd waves behind a large rock he was waiting beside.

It seemed Mr. Royal Bodyguard had brought two backup soldiers to ambush him in the water. Good thing he had parked up here for an aerial view of the beach before heading down blindly.  
These mermen were dangerous if Atem's abilities were anything to go by.

He hurried down the side of the cliff following a thin trail, his shoes slipping terribly on the sand several times before he managed to reach the bottom, unscathed.

"Seto Kaiba!" Mahad called, raising his arm in an awkward greeting. "Let's talk here."

Kaiba stood stubbornly several feet away, calling back, "No thanks! You come here!"

Underneath the water, Shadi and Rishid gave each other an angry look before shouting at Mahad in their minds.

 _"What an impudent human!"  
"Make him approach the shore so we can protect you if he poses a threat!"_

 _"Shut…up,"_ Mahad breathed, willing his face to remain pleasant, and he waved again, managing a thin smile. "Please, let's talk by the water. It's more pleasant here."

"No," Kaiba said firmly, folding his arms across his chest and feeling his feet sinking deeper in the sand. "I'm not about to be ambushed by your two friends in the water. Do you think I'm an idiot?"

Mahad's blood ran cold and heard simultaneous gasps of disbelief from Rishid and Shadi, their panicked cries echoing annoyingly in his ears.

 _"You were right! He does know of our existence!"  
"We've been seen! We've been seen! How was he able to see us?"_

"Well?" Kaiba said loudly, his voice almost drowned by the sound of the waves. "I have your ring!"

He waved the plastic bag and the ring gleamed in the low afternoon sun.

"Approach us, and we won't hurt you," Mahad said with firm finality, and he mirrored Kaiba's stance with his feet planted strongly apart. "You come here, or no deal."

 _Fine, dammit,_ Kaiba growled, stalking towards the mermen and keeping his gaze on the large rock behind his back. Maybe his two friends were waiting behind there with harpoon guns or something. He was outnumbered here anyway.

Besides, he was no use to them if he was dead.

Mahad eyed the approaching human apprehensively. They stared each other silently for a long moment before Kaiba spoke first, handing him a sealed bag containing his signet ring.

"I did my tests, and I want to amend our agreement," Kaiba said stiffly, watching the merman snatch his ring back and slip it onto his finger, looking relieved.

"You said you would melt it down," Mahad breathed, gazing at the ring on his hand, his heart calming down steadily. He had lost a good night's sleep over this, thinking that the ring really had been lost.

"When the fuck did I say that?" Kaiba smirked, eyeing the tall rock again and watching the merman's face remain blank.

"You said it to me in your mind," Mahad replied bluntly, and Kaiba rolled his eyes, pressing on with his own agenda.

"I found your little spoiled prince. He's being kept in a lab by a rival company," Kaiba lied smoothly. There was a deep truth to the lie.

"You neglected to mention that he had a fish's tail. Breaking him out is going to be difficult. You're asking me to commit a crime—several crimes."

Mahad heard Rishid and Shadi gasp again and shout at him from the water.

 _"So he knows! Can we reveal ourselves?!"  
"But is Atem alive?! Ask for proof!"_

"Okay…first of all, shut up!" Mahad roared, turning to face the rock.

Kaiba blinked, taken aback by the sudden outburst, but he felt a smile tugging at the corners of his own mouth. The other two were probably giving him hell.

"And show me proof," Mahad growled, facing Kaiba once more, and Kaiba was ready for this.

He pulled out his phone and showed the merman photos taken from the security feed in his own lab before Atem had destroyed the glass tank, even showing the blurry image of a hand coming towards the camera out of murky water.

"H-He's alive!" Mahad cried, grabbing the phone from Kaiba and rushing to the water's edge. "Come here, you idiots. Have your proof."

Kaiba watched with rising amusement as two heads surfaced and circled the rock. He studied their faces intently. Dark skin, and angular eyes. One man had a tattoo of scripture down one side of his face, and the other was wearing obnoxiously large hooped earrings.

"He looks like he's suffering," Shadi said angrily, giving the handsome human on shore a suspicious glare after seeing the image of Atem sitting lifeless against the edge of the small tank in shallow, murky water.

"Why are these photos taken from the air?" Rishid added, his confusion rising, and to Kaiba's relief, Mahad explained for him.

"Humans have cameras in the sky. But as for how Seto Kaiba obtained images from these cameras…" Mahad threw the human a suspicious look over his shoulder and Kaiba called back lazily, "I stole them! So I've already committed one crime trying to find him!"

"Tell me the location," Mahad said furiously, advancing on the human and gripping the phone tightly in his hands. "I will go in there and retrieve him myself."

"Right, and you'll end up in a tank too. Brilliant plan," Kaiba smirked, and he saw the two mermen behind him disappear behind the rock again. "If you're patient, I can break him out."

"There's no time! He's dying!" Mahad fumed, pointing at the photo on the phone with a shaking finger. "His skin is dull. He's sitting in a puddle of his own waste. This is humiliating."

"I know the man in charge," Kaiba answered smoothly, holding his hand out for his phone. "I can make him an offer he can't resist. I'll buy him and release him to you."

"Buy him!" Mahad cried, hearing similar shocks of displeasure from his two comrades behind him. "Is he being sold?!"

"Not yet," Kaiba growled, clenching his fists tightly at his sides, his heart pounding terribly in his chest. "I'll get my hands on him before that happens. But I'll need your cooperation."

"Right, your payment, our cooperation," Mahad said hurriedly, reaching into the pocket of his robes and holding out a large stone with a glowing blue core, his hands visibly shaking. "…Our promise."

"Yeah, I don't need that anymore," Kaiba said lazily, waving it away and pocketing his phone quickly. "I want your dead scales."

There was a long silence where only the crashing of the waves on shore rang out between them, and Shadi was the first to speak up, whispering to Mahad.

 _"How…does he know about that?"_

Ignoring the comment, Mahad agreed readily. "Dead scales. Agreed."

"No, you didn't hear the rest of my demand," Kaiba said, his teeth flashing white in a half-grimace. "I want an endless supply of dead scales, for the rest of the foreseeable future. Those are my conditions for freeing the prince."

Mahad blinked rapidly, wondering what he was agreeing to. How would they even begin to do that? It would mean continuous contact with a human!

"He is a _king,_ not a prince, and we do not agree to those terms," Shadi said deeply, showing his face from behind the rock again, glaring at the human. "If that is your clever method to remain in contact our people, we do not want any part of that."

"I don't need to see your ugly faces," Kaiba sneered in response, and he felt the merman standing beside him stiffen angrily. "Just deliver them to shore. Toss them up or something. Leave them on the rock and fuck off."

"Excuse me for interjecting, but that is a disgusting request," Rishid chimed in unhelpfully from behind Shadi, folding his arms and leaning his back against the rough rock. "What on earth are you planning on doing with our sheddings?"

"Not important!" Mahad snapped, secretly relieved that the human's demands had changed from precious stones to something easily procured in abundance.

"Do we have a deal?" Kaiba asked, his fingertips tingling with excitement. "Are you men of your word? Because if you anger me, I'll be the most dangerous enemy you'll wish you'd never—"

"Save your threats human, we know," Shadi interrupted, moving closer to shore and itching to wring the human's neck. "You have metal ships in the water too. Mahad here has told us of your expeditions."

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Kaiba sneered, "My ships have been picking up garbage."

There was a long silence, and Rishid tentatively poked his head out from behind the rock, his eye wide, "I've seen the ships that do that—"

"Shut up," Mahad hissed again, his cheeks burning. So perhaps this human was their friend after all, but something still felt off about him.

"Fine, human, let's make a blood pact," Shadi suggested nastily, and Mahad turned to give him a terrified look, shaking his head angrily. "No, no, we will not do that."

"Yes, we will!" Shadi argued back, rising higher and higher out of the water, no longer caring if the human saw his lower half. "I don't trust this human, and neither should you. Atem's life depends on it."

"I agree to the pact," Kaiba said lightly, examining his nails with his heart pounding thickly in his chest. "Repeat after me: I will give you dead scales forever until the end of time. At least, until the end of your time. They don't have to come from you. Scales from any mermaid will do."

"Reverse that wording, you devil-tongued sea urchin," Shadi growled, pointing coldly at him. "Dead scales will be delivered to you until _your_ death."

"My company will keep living on even after my death," Kaiba said, his eyes gleaming. "It's my legacy. So as long as my name is alive, I'll never die. Sure, make a pact like that."

All three mermen fell silent, and Mahad narrowed his eyes at Seto Kaiba, thinking that Shadi was right.

This human, however helpful, could not be trusted, but blood pacts were a dangerous practice, even amongst mermen.

They just had to hope for the best and place their faith in Seto Kaiba's word.

"We will make the deal when you've managed to release Atem," Mahad said finally, and Shadi nodded in silent agreement behind him.

Kaiba felt his blood boil and he curled his fists at his sides, "I want something in return, immediately, or no deal."

"Then….no deal." Shadi answered haughtily.

"NO!" Mahad cried, whirling around to glare at his comrade and then back at Seto Kaiba. "Fine, human, don't listen to him. I will give you _my_ scales for as long as you keep requesting it. You must free Atem in return. I alone…"

Mahad turned to glare at Shadi again before facing Kaiba once more.

"I alone shall travel to shore to deliver you sacks filled with dead scales. What you do with them is none of my business."

"That's what I like to hear," Kaiba said gleefully, managing a tight smile. Jackpot. "I'll give you the address to my private beach. There will be a deposit area drilled into the rock for you, so you can stay underwater when you deliver the scales. Daily."

"Daily?!"

Noises of shock and discontent rose up from behind the rock, and Mahad blinked incredulously at the human, his ears ringing with dread.

"Yeah," Kaiba smirked, keeping his arms folded across his chest in a protective stance. "You shed daily, don't you?"

"This human is the worst!" Rishid's voice could be heard from behind the rock and Kaiba ignored it.

"Yes, but rising to shore _daily_ is unhealthy," Mahad said stiffly, wondering if he was signing his soul away to the devil wearing human skin. "Weekly. And you will receive a pouch full of scales from the entire week."

"No, Mahad! You're foolish!" Shadi shouted over the sound of crashing waves.

Mahad stood his ground, clenching his fists at his sides.  
For Atem.  
Anything…for Atem.  
This man could save Atem.  
If he agreed to these terms, Atem would return to them alive.

"Deal," Kaiba said readily, reaching his hand out for a shake. "Forever, right? Even past my death. There will be someone present to collect the scales."

"If you can manage that, then yes," Mahad growled, reaching to grasp the human's hand in his and giving it a firm squeeze. "Dead scales will be delivered to you until you have no need for them. Atem must come to us alive, or the deal is off."

"I'll do my best," Kaiba replied coldly, withdrawing his hand quickly. "You want him on this shore, or on the shore of my private beach?"

"Your private property will be just fine, if you can guarantee his safety and the safety of the men in my pod," Mahad said readily, somehow feeling as if he was losing for some reason.

"Double deal," Kaiba grinned and turned to walk away, giving the merman a careless wave over his shoulder. "See you in a few days, but if you don't hear from me, I've probably been arrested!"

All three mermen watched the human walk away blithely and climb the sandy cliff towards his car.

The door slammed and the car pulled away from the cliff's edge, leaving nothing but the smell of exhaust in the air, mingling with the salty ocean spray.

Mahad stood silently in the sand, his eyes watering dangerously.

His companions behind him had resumed bickering and he shut them out completely.

Atem was still alive, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Kaiba demands sexytime from atem and atem obliges but feels sick after because he's getting the merman's equivalent of altitude sickness.

Mahad makes a bad deal, and kaiba walks away the winner. A full sack of dead scales for a lifetime, but he has to release atem.

edited by:setokaibaes

love,  
Ugli


	9. Chapter 9

Atem woke up feeling dizzy and nauseous again.

He rose slowly to the surface and gazed at the food on the cart.

Bile rose quickly, and before he could stop himself, he vomited in the water.

Gasping for breath, Atem heaved himself out of the pool and lay weakly on the edge, waiting for the water to clear and filter through.

Ah…damn.  
How many days and nights had he been living in this tiny pool?

His lungs felt tight, as if a hand had reached down into his chest and was continuously squeezing. He was pretty sure all the vigorous sex with the human wasn't helping either.

A sour film stuck to the back of his throat and Atem shut his eyes, his heart rate increasing steadily.

 _I'm really dying_. Atem thought faintly, fading in and out of consciousness.

He heard soft footsteps approaching the door and he didn't move. The human needed to see him like this, lifeless and weak, with vomit in the water.

Mokuba poked at the code in the door, trying every combination he could think of before he finally got the right one. Ha! And Seto thought he could hide this room from him.

Snickering triumphantly to himself, he pulled the door open and dashed inside, skidding in his steps, shocked to see the merman lying lifelessly at the edge of the pool.

Mokuba rushed forward and held his breath fearfully, seeing a disgusting patch of greenish filth floating in the middle of the water, and his fear rose to an all-time high.

Was the merman bleeding?!

Atem heard the child's thoughts and turned his head slowly to gaze up at him. "…Like I said, child. I'm dying."

Hyperventilating, Mokuba dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone, nervously dialing Seto's number.

Kaiba felt his phone buzzing in his pocket just as he exited the lab, and he fished it out to glance at the caller ID.  
Mokuba.

"What is it?" Kaiba answered smoothly, and Mokuba's panicked cries filled his ears.

"He's dying, Seto! Look at him!" Mokuba cried hysterically, jutting up and down on his toes, unsure of what to do with himself. "There's, like, gross blood or something in the water and he's just unconscious on the edge!"

There was a slight pause, and Mokuba shouted into the receiver. "He said it's vomit! He got sicker!"

Kaiba swallowed stiffly and whispered, "He was fine when I left him this morning."

"Well he's not fine now!" Mokuba wailed, kneeling beside Atem and gently helping him sit up. "He's awake. Hurry, Seto!"

Atem reached out to grasp the child's hand in his, gazing deeply into Mokuba's large grey eyes and nodding approvingly at him. "Good. It's not too late."

"Okay," Mokuba said tearfully, holding onto the merman's hand with all his might, feeling it weaken alarmingly in his grasp. "Seto finished cleaning all the garbage around your home! You'll have a clean home when you get back!"

Atem smiled half-heartedly. This child meant well.

There was a loud clattering coming from the hallway, and a group of men in suits burst into the basement, wheeling a gurney.

Mokuba stepped away respectfully to let them lift the merman onto it to wheel him out of the room. He glanced at the stack of jewelry sitting in the far corner of the pool and he hurried over to retrieve it.

If he remembered correctly, the merman had been wearing these upon his arrival.

* * *

Kaiba gripped the wheel tightly and sped down the narrow highway towards his private beach.

Atem was right. He had failed.  
He had barely managed to keep him alive for "one moon cycle".

It had only been a week and a half at most, and Atem was already vomiting.

The thing he couldn't replicate in a basement pool was water pressure.  
Damn.  
So the shallow pool had been a ploy.  
The merman had specifically asked to be housed in a shallow pool so he'd get sick enough to be released.

 _I've been outsmarted,_ Kaiba growled, flooring the pedal and watching the scenery whiz by in a blur.

It didn't matter. He'd got what he wanted. The scales. An endless, lifetime's supply of scales. His company would thrive after this, and he no longer needed to worry about bankruptcy.

Seeing his property rise into view, Kaiba sped up the hill and swerved dangerously on the road the closer he got to the ocean's edge.

He could see his men already gathered at the beachfront, with Atem on the gurney. He was late.

Parking the car haphazardly on the side of the road, Kaiba got out and slammed the door without bothering to shut off the engine.

"Seto!" Mokuba cried, waving frantically at his older brother from the water's edge. "He's coming, mermaid. You'll get to see him before you go."

"Let me up." Atem said weakly, and he felt the men unbuckling his restraints obediently.

Struggling to sit up, Atem took several deep breaths, his lungs constricting terribly even though they were so close to the water's edge. The salt in the air helped moisten his throat, but for some reason, breathing was still difficult.

"…He's…suffocating," Mokuba whimpered, wringing his hands anxiously as his older brother joined him at his side, breathless and panting.

"Dismissed…" Kaiba breathed, sending off his men and trying to compose himself at the same time.

Atem watched as the group of men bowed and shuffled off down the beach in an odd single file line, and he turned his attention back to the glittering sea shore.

The sun was setting magnificently across the horizon, tinting the water a stunning orange. Was this a dream? The human was releasing him!

He gazed at the Kaiba brothers, taking in their features one last time, feeling his heart ache. It was either from the sickness or from sadness. Both humans had been kind to him in their own selfish ways.

Kaiba stepped forward silently and lifted Atem off the rolling bed, gently carrying him to the water's edge, and Mokuba ran after them, his shoes squishing wetly in the sand.

Atem draped his arms warmly around the human's shoulders, appreciating the soft touch.  
Being carried like this was nice.  
Being with this human had been…nice.  
Their sexual playtime would live in his memory forever.

"Thank you," Atem said nervously, his voice almost drowned out by the rushing waves around Kaiba's ankles. Kaiba kept pushing forward steadily, taking long, awkward strides to avoid the impending waves until he stood waist deep in the freezing ocean water.

"You're not welcome," Kaiba replied coldly, his body numb with sorrow and disappointment.

This had been too quick, but it had been planned this way by the cunning merman.

"I'll give you a parting gift as thanks," Atem said playfully, leaning up to plant a warm kiss on Kaiba's chin, feeling his lips burn happily at the brief contact. "There. My debts all repaid. Drop me in the water now."

Kaiba tensed his jaw and felt his stomach churn terribly. Not even a real kiss.  
That was fine. This wasn't a special parting anyway.

Atem smirked, enjoying Kaiba's inner turmoil immensely.  
He had won.  
He had gotten this human to love him so much, that at a moment's notice upon the first sign of sickness, he was being released.

He felt the arms underneath his body loosen, and he waved his tail happily, gazing up into the human's clear blue eyes, which were burning strangely bright due to the orange setting sun before them.

"Go on, drop me," Atem said, giving Kaiba's neck a tight squeeze. "Goodbye, human. It was nice being with you."

Kaiba bit his tongue tightly and knelt in the waves, shivering violently from the cold. Atem's weight slipped easily from his arms and the merman kicked off, disappearing underneath a shallow wave, the glint from his red tail barely visible underneath the white foam.

Atem circled the shallow water, trembling with happiness and relief. He felt instantly better the second his skin touched real ocean water.

"Bye, Mr. Merman!" Mokuba cried, waving ecstatically behind Seto, oblivious to his distress. "See you never!"

Atem heard this and he mustered up the last of his strength to pull his body out of the water, doing a magnificent flip.

Kaiba sat down painfully in the water, his heart catching thickly in his throat, staring at the beautiful silhouette of the spiky-haired merman outlined against the setting sun, the tips of his spiky hair sparkling with stray drops of water, every curve of his muscular body poised gracefully in mid-air.  
Unreal.  
Absolutely magical.

Landing solidly back in the water with a splash, Atem stuck his arm out of the water and waved energetically, hearing the boy's laughter ringing from shore.

Satisfied, he swam off quickly and headed straight down for deeper waters, ignoring the pain still tugging deep inside his chest.

He was alive, and that was all that mattered. The pain would quickly vanish along with his shore-related illness.

On the beach, Kaiba found himself looking directly into the setting sun, causing his eyes to water uncontrollably.

He was crying.

"Seto…come on. I'm hungry!" Mokuba called, giving the wet sand an impatient kick. "We did a good deed. He's gonna be okay now."

Kaiba stayed sitting in the water, letting one thick wave after another lap up against his body.  
He didn't feel cold anymore.  
There was just a gut-wrenching pain in his chest and stomach.  
Why did it feel like he had just broken up with someone?  
Was he going insane or did a merman come into his life, charm him, and then dump him?

 _I'm…fucking stupid!_ Kaiba thought wildly, the tears still streaming uncontrollably down his face. _I'm in love with him!_

"Hey…Seto?" Mokuba called, clinking the merman's jewelry together awkwardly. "How do we give these back to him?"

Kaiba didn't answer.  
He no longer had a voice.  
In fact, it felt like he no longer had a heart or soul.

The merman had taken it with him when he disappeared beneath the foamy waves.

The reality of what he had just lost was sinking in steadily.

"S-Seto?" Mokuba cried anxiously, his concern rising higher and higher the longer his older brother continued to sit silently in the water, letting the waves almost drown him as they washed in.

Mokuba sighed. He set the jewelry down on the gurney and sat down in the sand, keeping his eye on Seto's back in the water.

He had seen the merman kiss Seto on the cheek for a millisecond.  
Seto was sad the merman had left.  
They had probably been close friends.

* * *

Atem could feel his strength returning tenfold the deeper he swam, and he paused midway, taking deep shuddering breaths.

Free at last! But without all his finery.

It was fine. Seto Kaiba could have it for all of his troubles.

Continuing on his way, Atem felt his limbs growing heavier with an odd sensation.

Guilt?

Shoving the feeling aside roughly, Atem barreled on forward, congratulating himself on his own cleverness.

The hemisphere of his kingdom was in sight, and he swam right through the protective barrier with ease, hearing excited shouts from the guards surrounding area.

Atem gazed down at the glittering rooftops of his kingdom, relieved to see that everything still looked the same.

The shell-covered rooftops gleamed in the low light, and he circled above the homes, letting the barrier guards surround him quickly with relief painted across their faces.

"Your Majesty!"  
"Your Highness!"  
"You look unwell! Praise Ahti! You're alive!"

Atem nodded weakly, at a loss for words, already feeling faint.

"Atem!" Mahad's deep voice rang out from a distance and Atem sank gratefully against the strong grip of the guard who was holding him steadily upright.

Shooting forward in the water, Mahad wrapped a protective arm around the king's shoulders and tugged him out of the guard's grasp. "I'll take him from here, thank you. Return to your posts."

Atem blinked slowly, the world spinning dangerously around him with each light breath. Why…did he still feel…sick?

"The change in pressure was too sudden," Mahad said stiffly, gently guiding Atem towards the palace. "Let's get you to a medic."

Nodding again, Atem let Mahad tug him forward, hearing cries of relief and joy from the merpeople beneath them as they passed over their roofs, their excited whispers reaching his ears.

 _"_ _He's been saved! Thank Suijin!"  
"He looks unwell, but he's alive!"  
"The king is alive! See there! He's being carried by brave Mahad!"_

"The human acted fast on his promise," Mahad growled, his blood boiling with a strange fire. "It seems we owe him a great debt."

Dizzy and lightheaded, Atem's mind spun with questions but his throat was so dry, he could barely speak.

They approached the palace gates and Mana came zooming out the front, throwing herself onto Atem and clinging onto him tightly.

"Atem!" she sobbed. Feeling how unnaturally cold and clammy his body was, she jerked back, shining tears pooling at the corners of her eyes.

"Y-You're so cold! Let's warm him up, hurry! Swim faster!" she cried, circling Mahad and tugging incessantly at his arm, dragging them both forward with surprising force. "Medic! Mediiiiic! Someone prepare an empty pod!"

Feeling dangerously weak, Atem shivered and managed a smile, but winced when his throat began chafing and burning with a terrible dryness.

He was gently drifted through the palace gates, down the hallways towards the medic's chambers, and on the way, they passed many concerned faces hovering around them.

Shadi swam ahead quickly, intent on getting to the medic's chambers first so he could confront Mahad on the suspicious timeline of the human's activities.

"Atem!" Mana shrieked, grabbing tightly onto his arm and giving him a rough shake. "He's unconscious...!"

"Come, hurry," Mahad urged, passing under the stone arch and gently pushing Atem's limp body into an empty membrane pod.

Mana pressed a hand to her mouth and gazed anxiously at the king floating lifelessly in the pod, his fingertips an odd greyish color.

The medic hurried towards them with her assistant close by her side, frowning with worry. "A bad case of shore-sickness, but he will be fine."

"Mahad, a word," Shadi growled, grabbing the advisor by his muscled arm and dragging him towards the chamber entryway, making sure to keep his voice low.

"The human said he needed a few _days._ We had just met with him this afternoon! The sun is just now setting. Does this not seem a bit suspicious to you?!"

Mahad jerked his arm out of Shadi's grasp and glared furiously.

"This human Seto Kaiba is particularly skilled in making deals with other humans," he fumed, wondering why Shadi was sounding so ungrateful. "On land, he has a kingdom of his own. If you had gone up with me, you would understand."

Mana listened to the men arguing from Atem's podside, wringing her hands with worry as the medic and her assistant worked quickly, taking his vitals.

"Is he going to wake up?" she whispered fearfully, and the medic turned to her with a kind smile.

"Yes. He's had something to eat, which is fortunate. But he needs a deep cleanse. We'll shut him in the pod so he can detoxify slowly."

Mana nodded anxiously, listening to Mahad and Shadi shout at each other.

"You promised him a lifetime of dead scales! Do you really intend to rise to shore every week? You'll kill yourself!"

"The human said anyone's scales would do! You could travel to shore in my place, you coward! We could take turns!"

"As if I would indulge in the human's petty demands for such a disgusting thing!"

"Then I will tell Atem!" Mahad said, finally losing the last of his patience. "He can issue a decree. Similar to how we discard of human litter, we will add scaling to the list."

Mana swam over to the men, her heart pounding nervously with curiosity. "What now? You want Atem to issue another shoreline decree?"

"Yes," Mahad answered firmly while Shadi cried out at the same time, "No!"

"I-I don't understand," Mana said shakily, and it grew silent behind her as the medic and her assistant also began to listen in.

"I'm going to advise Atem to add another clause," Mahad said coldly. "Stating that the volunteering merperson discarding litter to shore will also deposit dead scales on Seto Kaiba's private rock."

Shadi palmed his face heavily and turned away, the rage accentuated in the corners of his eyes, which had narrowed into thin slits.

"Now _I_ don't understand!" the medic cried, and her assistant nodded stiffly beside her.

"The human who freed Atem demands payment in the form of dead scales," Shadi growled, facing the medic chamber and seeing several curious heads peeking out from the edges of the other pods.

"The human committed many crimes in order to find Atem and free him," Mahad added, seeing Mana's face grow paler and paler. "I gave him my word that I alone would deliver him dead scales until he has no need for them anymore."

"Then we give him whatever he wants!" someone cried from the far end of the room. "The human sounds noble!"

"Far from it!" Shadi shouted back, unable to contain his fury anymore. "He is a criminal!"  
Merpeople these days were getting soft.  
The moment a human showed "kindness" it was a rallying cry to repay them.  
Seto Kaiba was not a kind human and did not deserve anything in return for his actions.

"I volunteer to give the human my sheddings," another merman piped up from another pod. "I will deliver them personally to you, Warrior Mahad, or I shall add them to my list of shore duties."

"Me too!" a mermaid called, sticking her bracelet-adorned arm out of a nearby pod. "It's a hassle paying for services to discard my sheddings. I'll ask my salon to donate their garbage to the human."

"How convenient!" the mermaid beside her laughed, also sticking her hand forward out of her pod. "I'll ask my salon too. You'll have an endless supply, Warrior Mahad. You have our support. As for bringing it to shore…"

"My husband makes my trips for me. One time, he said he saw a naked human," the first mermaid giggled, and the two women resumed happily gossiping with each other.

Mahad blinked slowly, his heart pounding steadily with a strange happiness.

People were oddly nice in times like these.

"Ridiculous," Shadi growled, storming off and leaving nothing but a swirl of water behind him.

"I…can make trips in Atem's place until he gets better," Mana said tearfully, pressing her hands to her cheeks to prevent herself from crying. "He was making my trip for me when he…when he—"

She hiccupped and pressed her face in her hands, tears flowing out through the cracks of her fingers and landing with gentle clinks onto the medic chamber's floor.

"Now, now, don't cry all over the floor. I just swept," said the medic, swimming over quickly and producing a small seaweed woven pouch, offering it to Mana kindly. "Come, sit here beside him. He'll wake up soon."

"Do not blame yourself for the actions of humans," Mahad said nervously, trying to calm her down. "I'll speak with the rest of the court about this, and you watch over him. Come to me immediately when he wakes."

Mana nodded bleakly and pressed the tiny pouch to the corner of her eye to catch another stray tear, watching Mahad swim away quickly.

It didn't matter how many times anyone told her it wasn't her fault that Atem had gotten kidnapped.

She resolutely felt that it _was_ her fault, because she was afraid to make her trips to shore.

* * *

Kaiba moved with painful slowness down the stairs towards the elevator, feeling as if his entire body was made of lead.

He stepped in through the sliding doors and leaned against the wall, hating everything.

This was fine. Maybe if he tried dating someone in the real world, he'd feel less shitty about this merman.

The elevator door slid open and he stepped out, seeing two lab technicians rush to him with excitement and lead him over to their work stations, talking excitedly.

Stuck in a depressed haze, Kaiba only half-listened.

"…Really truly amazing…we were able to make a serum out of it, just as we expected!"

"It was Akagi-san's idea to fuse it with a binding agent, glycerin…."

"Touch it, Mr. Kaiba! Put it on the back of your hand, it feels refreshing, doesn't it?"

Kaiba dipped his fingers into the clear jar of jelly-like substance and dabbed it carelessly onto the back of his hand. As the serum began to dry, it left his feeling skin light and airy, almost as if it was breathing better.

"I wonder if I'll look more youthful if I put it on my face," another lab technician spoke, reaching for the jar and dipping a gloved pinky into it, playing with the consistency. "My wife complains about my forehead wrinkling."

There was a light round of laughter echoing through the lab, and Kaiba stood rooted to the spot with mild shock.

An idea crept into his mind and he cleared his throat, hearing everyone quiet down politely to let him speak. "So…cosmetics. This is the scale in its most refined form?"

"Scale?" a chemist from the far side of the room echoed. "Skin, perhaps, but not scale, and no Mr. Kaiba. The most refined form we've managed is a clear liquid with a fishy smell."

"There wasn't much of it left after making this one jar." Another pregnant chemist piped up, nodding politely at Kaiba. "Do you perhaps have more? To make cosmetics…we would need a large batch. Much larger than the plastic bag you sent us."

"Does it hold color?" Another scientist piped up, reaching for the jar and slipping her glove off and tentatively sweeping a dollop off the top. "I'd love it if we could tint this a light blue. This almost feels like a gel."

Everyone in the lab held their breath and watched her pat it onto her face with familiarity, and there was a pause before her face split into a blissful grin, "Ah…! Wow! This feels so nice! It's like I just got a facial!

The women in the lab gravitated towards her, clamoring over the jar, leaving the male scientists sitting awkwardly in their seats.

"H-Hey!" the male lab technician cried out in protest. "It was my idea! I said it would help with the creases on my forehead!"

"But you didn't put it on your face first, now did you, Midori-san?" another chemist shot back at him playfully, and the women in the lab giggled in amusement. "Hey, put it on my stomach, Akagi-san. Give it here! Pregnant women first."

Kaiba swayed on the spot, his spirits rising higher and higher the louder the excitement grew in his lab.

He pointed at the chemist in the far end of the room and gestured for him to come closer. The man bowed and hurried forward, giving the women in the center of the room an envious look as he passed them.

"Write this down," Kaiba said stiffly.

The man pulled out a notepad from his breast pocket, gripping a pen tightly and gazing expectantly at him.

"I need to know exactly how many pieces make an ounce." Kaiba said quickly, watching the man jot his words down and the room quieted once more, so he addressed the room at large. "Remember that you signed an NDA. You will all receive a raise, and stock options in the cosmetics line if this launches successfully."

Thunderous applause rang out in the room again and the women began chatting happily amongst themselves, dispersing slowly back to their stations.

"The only issue is the scent," the chemist said nervously while the pregnant chemist approached them quickly, handing Kaiba the jar and smiling.

"We can manufacture a scent that won't affect the composition of the serum," she said sweetly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. "But for that, we would need more batches to test on. This is a rough estimate, but from my earlier notes, five slices of the skin makes one ounce."

"It would have to be extremely expensive cosmetics, sold in tiny jars," another lab technician added from behind them. "But it works, so once people realize that, they will pay anything. You have a premium brand on your hands here, Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba nodded stiffly and began walking towards the door, feeling the chemists stick by his side closely, still talking.

"We haven't tried freezing or burning it while it's in liquid form."

"How do you want to proceed with testing this on live subjects?"

"But to do that, we'd need several kilograms of this skin."

He stepped into the elevator and stared at his two chemists who were still gazing at him hopefully.

"I'll check in with my supplier," was all he said before letting the doors close in their faces, and the elevator rose steadily upwards.

A headache was slowly building in the back of his head and he shut his eyes, trying to forget the vivid memory of Atem's face hovering inches from his, his eyes narrowed in concentration while they were in the water together…enjoying each other's bodies.

This was easily remedied. He just needed to fuck someone else to forget about the pretty merman.

* * *

Atem heard muffled voices and was woken from his pleasant dream. He opened his eyes a slight crack, seeing blurred figures hovering around his pod, and he closed them again.

His body felt wonderfully light while he slipped back into his lewd dream, enjoying the warmth around him.

The human Seto Kaiba had his arms wrapped around his neck, kissing gently down his chest, pausing to throw him a mischievous look before his lips wrapped naughtily around one of his nipples, sucking and licking playfully, sending heated jolts of pleasure running up and down his body.

His hands were wonderfully cool against his heated skin, and his lips were warm against his navel. A silky tongue slid suggestively along the line where his scales met his skin, sending ticklish sensations running down his tail—

"He's awake." The medic's voice could be heard through the pod, jolting Atem unpleasantly from his daydream. "We can open the pod now."

"Really?! Oh…thank Ahti!" Mana's voice sounded relieved, and Atem frowned deeply, wishing he could go back into the daydream.

The sound of membrane ripping filled his pod and Atem found himself gazing up into the worried faces of the dark-haired medic, her male assistant, and Mana.

"Your majesty." The medic bowed her head down respectfully. "There was something concerning about your vitals. Do you want to hear it now, or later?"

"Tell us now," Mana demanded, reaching forward to grab Atem's hand and giving it a tight squeeze. "Can we talk about it now, Atem? I need to know you're perfectly okay!"

Atem nodded stiffly, giving the medic an approving nod too, seeing her throw her male assistant a strange look before addressing Mana.

"Perhaps…if we could have some…privacy," the assistant said deeply, holding his arm out to wrap warmly around Mana's shoulders and leading her away from the edge of the pod. "I can stay with you here."

"Wait!" Mana cried tearfully, clutching her seaweed pouch tightly and gazing Atem. "You'll tell me what it is, right, Atem? Atem?"

Atem smiled weakly at her and felt his heart pound nervously in his chest. Oh no…what was it? Why was the medic asking for privacy? This might be bad….

The medic floated closer to him and pulled the edges of the pod up around their heads, giving him a deeply concerned glance.

"King, my readings are sometimes flawed, but they are rarely so," she said nervously, and Atem waited patiently for her to continue.

"It seems…that you have somehow become…infertile."

 _Infertile?_ Atem reeled, his ears ringing with a terrible sound, and he felt weak all over.

The medic bowed her head deeply, wearing a pained expression while speaking quickly in a low tone. "It might be temporary, and it was probably caused by surface illness. But none of our kind has ever spent so much time on shore and come back alive."

Atem blinked rapidly, desperately trying to find his voice before he managed to whisper, "You're saying…this is a side effect of surface illness?"

"Y-Yes, your majesty," she said uncertainly, bowing forward again because she was unsure of how to behave. "Unless you want to believe an old wives' tales about how infertility is caused by a human's touch."

Atem's breath caught painfully in his throat, and he coughed stiffly, his throat still searing and the medic rushed forward to rest her hand on his chest.

"A human's touch?" Atem asked, his heart skipping several terrified beats in his chest and he watched the medic nod and shake her head.

"Don't listen to me. I'm being silly."

"Tell me the tale," Atem demanded, gripping the edge of the pod and feeling a rush of guilt. "Many humans touched me while I was on shore."

The medic paled and kept her head lowered respectfully, talking in a rush. "When I said a 'human's touch', I meant that if you had _mated_ with a human, it _might_ cause infertility. That is why sexual contact with humans has been forbidden…to preserve our race."

She raised her head to sneak a peek at him and was met with a deeply shocked look. Of course, a noble king like Atem wouldn't have known about such a dirty thing.

"I'm very sorry," she added nervously, turning away to give the king his privacy. "I'll leave now."

"Is it permanent?" Atem asked frantically, struggling to sit upright and gazing at her with wide eyes. "If it is caused by surface illness, my body should heal quickly, right?"

"Perhaps, my king. I'll pray for it to be so." She gave him a deep sympathetic look over her shoulder before pushing the membrane walls aside and swimming away quietly.

Breathless with shock, Atem thunked his head back onto the spongy pillow behind his head and gazed up at the high stone ceilings.

A human's touch had rendered him infertile.

Seto Kaiba's…touch!

Weak with a mixture of dread and disappointment at himself, Atem closed his eyes and curled up inside the pod, listening to his heart thumping heavily inside his chest.

The medic's assistant had been right to ask for privacy.  
How would he ever be able to break this news to those closest to him?

 _How will I ever conceive an heir?_ Atem thought wildly, his anxiety rising higher and higher. He had put his own kingdom's future at stake for rough playtime with a pretty human…thinking there would be no consequences to his own actions.

Shutting his eyes tightly, Atem willed for sleep to come.  
The medic had said it was an old wives' tale.

The infertility would be temporary, because once he healed from the surface illness, he'd be just fine.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

atem is released, kaiba is heartbroken, but the good news is that the scales make a nice serum for a Kaiba Cosmetics line! Atem almost passed out swimming his way back home and received some devastating news about his own health.

edited by setokaibaes

stay tuned for new chapter coming WEDNESDAY MAY 8th 2019!

AO3 has restricted my posts until **Thursday may 2nd.** (i gotta thank whoever reported me. THANK YOU!)

xo  
Ugli


	10. Chapter 10

Kaiba opened his eyes and found himself staring a smooth, muscular back, and he sat up slowly, feeling himself ache.

The man shifted sleepily beside him and Kaiba stuck his heel out to kick the man off the bed.

"Wake up, and get out."

The man jerked awake and let out a yelp, tumbling off the bed and onto the floor with the sheets twisted around his legs. He gazed up at the CEO, who was glaring at him on the bed from above.

"I said get out," Kaiba growled, and the man blinked nervously at him, his blonde hair matted messily across his forehead while he stammered, "D-Do you want to have breakfast with me?"

"I already forgot your name," Kaiba answered viciously, pointing at his clothes on the floor. "Out."

The man scrambled for his clothes and Kaiba threw the sheets off himself to stalk into the bathroom, making sure to slam the door loudly.

Isono edged the bedroom door open with his elbow and almost dropped the tray of coffee, startled at the sight of a young man with his underwear around his ankles and his shirt above his head, clearly in a hurry to get dressed.

Reddening with embarrassment, the old man stood respectfully in the hallway until the stranger emerged from Kaiba's room and bowed stiffly, his cheeks red as apples.

Deciding to remain unfazed, Isono entered the bedroom and set Kaiba's coffee down onto the table, slipping his hand into his pocket to call the maid.

 _Master Kaiba is young and energetic,_ Isono thought mildly, quietly exiting the room and closing the door.

As long as he was enjoying life, the master could do no wrong in his eyes.

In the shower, Kaiba stood angrily under the steaming water, shivering with self-loathing.

Had it been bad sex? No.  
Had it been good sex? Questionable.  
Did he think of Atem every time he closed his eyes? Yes.

The merman's violet eyes haunted him, and the way his delicate face was framed with spiky blonde bangs made him seek out the blonde-haired man in the crowded bar, but it wasn't meaningful.

Had that stranger been conventionally attractive? Sure.  
But Atem was prettier by far.  
Had the man been considerate in bed? Yes.  
But Atem was more attentive by far.

Shutting the water off with a heavy hand, Kaiba pressed his forehead against the tiles, hating how his eyes burned with unshed tears.

What he needed was another one-night stand. Maybe with another woman, two women, or hell, a man and a woman.  
Atem was replaceable.  
He just needed to find someone or something that would fill that void.

Pulling himself together, Kaiba stepped out of the shower and dried off quickly, ignoring his aching headache.

* * *

Atem floated easily between Mahad and Shadi, waving kindly at the people who called out to him while they tossed seashells at the ground beneath his fins.

"Many happy returns, King Atem!" a child cried, waving enthusiastically while his mother and father stood beside him, beaming. Several groups of mermaids tossed hand-strung shell bracelets at him, and Atem caught one as it hit his chest, hearing squeals of embarrassment and delight.

"We're getting him out of the crowd," Mahad muttered to Shadi, and his comrade nodded, firmly steering Atem back towards the palace archways.

Atem bit back a longing sigh as he turned his gaze upwards, seeing nothing but the usual darkness surrounding their hemisphere.

Every passing moment in his thoughts had been about the human, Seto Kaiba, and today on his birthday, it was no different.  
He had been secretly counting the days passing on shore.

Today would be three moon cycles and exactly two weeks since he had been released.

Maybe he could find some time to sneak away and see if he could catch a glimpse of Seto Kaiba on shore.

They swam through the palace gates, bowed in by two guards, and were welcomed by Mana, shooting towards them at breakneck speed and hugging Atem tightly around the neck.

"You're back!" she cried happily.

Atem showed her the shell bracelet as she pulled away.

"For me?!" She held it up with delight and slipped it onto her arm smoothly, admiring it fondly.

Atem eyed Shadi and Mahad who were silently conversing in a far corner, and he leaned towards Mana, whispering, "What has gotten into those two lately? I've been healed. Why are they still acting so worried?"

Mana fidgeted nervously, wondering if Atem knew about the human's demand for their scales, but before she could ask, Mahad approached them quickly, his long hair flowing magnificently behind his broad shoulders.

"My king, I'll be taking a short break. I'm tired, and I hope you'll understand."

"Of course," Atem replied mildly, also quickly adding, "I'd like to take a quick swim towards shore. I want to see the night sky tonight to celebrate my birthday."

Everyone fell silent around him, and Atem frowned. "What?"

"Perhaps…you could stay here, tonight," Shadi managed, unable to keep the coldness from seeping into his voice. "You've had quite a scare rising to shore. We've all had a scare. You'll make us worry."

"I know how to take care of myself," Atem retaliated angrily, feeling terribly pent up and frustrated. "What are the chances a human will capture me again? Slim! My incident was the only one for the past five centuries!"

"I'll invite my friends over?" Mana offered tentatively, wondering if the company of mermaids would appease Atem instead. "Do you remember Hazel and Rebecca? Rebecca really likes you—"

"I don't give a damn about her," Atem replied coldly, turning to glare at Shadi. "I'm journeying to shore, alone. If you follow me, Shadi, I'll fight you."

Mana stifled a gasp, and Mahad narrowed his eyes at the king, wondering what had gotten into him.

"Very well, Atem," Mahad said heavily, giving Shadi a knowing look before continuing. "It just so happens I'm headed to shore now."

"I said, alone, Mahad," Atem growled, curling his tail threateningly. "Why are you headed to shore? Didn't Rishid swim to shore alone last week? And Shadi, went the week before! So, this shore-journeying excludes me, now, doesn't it? Didn't we agree to do the trash dumps in pairs?"

There was another long silence, and they were joined by Isis and Rishid, who hovered nervously by the hallway entrance, watching them from afar.

"What is it?" Atem fumed, glancing around his court subjects and wondering why everyone was so fearfully silent. "Speak!"

Finally, after a while, Mahad did, sounding deeply apologetic. "Shadi, Rishid, and I have been taking turns delivering a week's worth of dead scales to the human, Seto Kaiba, the one who freed you."

Atem stared at his men, shocked that they had kept this secret from them, but pleased that this meant he had a chance to regularly see Seto Kaiba.

"You should've told me sooner," Atem said gruffly, trying his best to hide his excitement. "I'll take this week's delivery up to him. Which shore?"

"No…you can't!" Isis cried, pressing a hand to her chest and leaning against a stone pillar in obvious distress. "Even though you've recovered, you might get sick again! You can't rise to shore so soon."

"What if the human wants to harm you?" Rishid added, remembering Kaiba's wicked smile. "What's stopping the human from capturing you once you've surfaced?! He'll keep you so he can have fresh scales off your body!"

The court murmured in heated agreement and Atem did his best not to roll his eyes.

"If he wanted to harvest fresh scales off my body, why would he release me?" Atem demanded, sweeping his gaze over each of his subjects. "Think about that! His interest is purely in the scales. We, as merpeople, are safe."

"That is the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard," another merman snorted from behind him, and Atem turned to see Solomon floating angrily towards them.

"Your job as king is to guide us and keep us safe. Your bravery concerning Mana is understandable, but don't needlessly sacrifice yourself for this disgusting chore."

The ancient merman folded his arms across his chest and glared at Atem.

"Stay here tonight, and keep the people in your thoughts. If you left for shore on your birthday, people will worry."

"How about a compromise?" Mahad said quickly, holding his hands up defensively, feeling an argument boiling in the courtroom between Atem and Solomon. "I shall accompany Atem to the surface. Rest easy knowing he is safe with me."

Atem ground his teeth furiously. He was being treated like a child.

"Please, Atem, we're so worried about you." Mana hung onto his arm and gazed pleadingly into his eyes. "Go with Mahad. Maybe in a few moon cycles we'll all feel more comfortable with you surfacing by yourself."

"Fine," Atem growled, jerking his arm out of Mana's grasp and storming off towards the palace gates. "I'll go with Mahad…just this once."

Solomon sighed, and his sigh was echoed by Shadi and Mahad.

"He's been acting strange since his return," Rishid said, stating the obvious.

"He's probably trying to show us that he isn't scared," Isis mused, and she received a tight nod from Solomon.

"A hot-blooded young merman like him will get himself killed acting like this," the aging merman declared. "He will probably attempt to rise to shore without our knowledge to best his own fear. We will keep close eyes on him. Mana, we are counting on you."

Mana nodded nervously and wrung her hands tightly, feeling deep guilt. Atem…was always so brave.  
Even now, when he was scared of the surface, he still wanted to do deliveries with Mahad.

The courtroom dispersed slowly and Mahad floated up beside her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "You're a good girl, Mana. We're going to be fine."

Mana nodded silently and stared at the silhouette of Atem hovering by the palace gates. Yes, as long as she kept an eye on Atem, everything would be fine.

* * *

Kaiba slung his laptop bag over his shoulder and climbed the tall rock with familiarity, feeling the tips of his shoes slipping on the wet surface.

Finally reaching the top, he made himself comfortable, crossing his legs and propping his bag up on his lap and gazing out across the dark water.

This had become his ritual every week for the past few months now.

After tucking Mokuba into bed, he would drive out to his oceanside property and perch himself on this rock, waiting for a telltale splash beneath him that indicated the scales were being delivered.

He had had his men drill a hole in the rock and add hooks along the inside, making it easy for the mermen to hang the mesh pouches of scales to it.

This way, the scales stayed cold and submerged until he arrived to drag them out of the water.

The mesh sacks were always full to bursting, and in the beginning, Kaiba's lab technicians were extremely happy with the deliveries…until it suddenly became too much.

Now, he had more scales than he knew what to do with, but the production of the serum was well underway, and his cosmetics line was within sight.

They had already pushed out a beta batch, and invited a group of men and women to test it out. Results were overwhelmingly positive.

Kaiba sighed and flipped his laptop open, listening to the soft lapping of the waves against the rock. His work life was going perfectly well, but he still felt horribly empty inside.

After many one-night stands and a several threesomes later, Kaiba had come to terms with the fact that he was indeed in love with the merman.

So every week on this day, he would bring his laptop here to sit on this rock, waiting for the weekly deliveries, desperately scanning the dark water beneath him, hoping to catch a glimpse of red and gold hair.

Atem had to surface sometime.  
It was just a matter of time.

* * *

The pressure grew lighter around Atem's shoulders and he popped his head up above the water, taking a deep, appreciative inhale of the fresh air, gazing up at the wonderful night sky.

Tiny silver stars dotted across the inky blue canvas above, and Mahad surfaced beside him with two large sacks of scales on each shoulder.

A tiny figure could be seen sitting on a tall rock in the distance. Atem stared intently at it, wondering if it was Seto Kaiba, and his stomach churned with excitement.

"We're here, and we'll stay at this distance while I explain," Mahad said stiffly, shifting the heavy sacks on his shoulders and pointing at the rock. "You may not recognize him, but that is Seto Kaiba, the human who released you. He sits there every night to make sure we are holding up our end of the bargain."

 _Oh I recognize him,_ Atem thought gleefully, his cheeks heating up at the thought of a warm, welcoming birthday kiss from the human.  
But how would he manage that without Mahad catching him?

"There are hooks in a small cave underneath the rock," Mahad continued. "We hang them there without surfacing and leave as quickly as possible."

"I want to thank him," Atem said stubbornly. Mahad threw him a shocked and worried look.

"He is dangerous, my liege," Mahad said nervously, but to his rising horror, Atem had already dipped beneath the surface and was swimming towards the rock with surprising speed.

Kaiba heard a soft plop in the water, and he shut his laptop quickly, shoving it back in the bag and glanced down into the water beneath him on high alert.

Was that it? Just one splash?

To his pleasant surprise, red spiky tips poked out over the surface of the wavy water, and Kaiba stared, his heart stopping in his chest with excitement.

Atem!

The merman rose out of the water quickly and threw Kaiba a mischievous smile, his fangs gleaming prettily in the soft moonlight. "You look well, human. Wish me well too. Today is my birthday."

Speechless for a moment, Kaiba quickly composed himself and smiled brightly in return. "Happy birthday."

They stared at each other silently for a long moment and Kaiba ached to throw himself in the water to wrap himself around tightly Atem's body and never let go.  
He wanted to fuck.  
Could they fuck?  
How about a good birthday fuck?  
It had been several weeks since he'd had a good fuck.

"Not…now," Atem's mouth barely moved when he whispered, and Kaiba frowned, seeing a second patch of bubbles rising quickly to the merman's left, and an unwelcome, familiar face rose out of the water.

"Human…" Mahad nodded stiffly, and grabbed Atem by the arm. "Greetings and goodbye."

Kaiba blinked rapidly, his body burning with heat, and he clenched his jaw so hard, his teeth ached.

Fuck this guy.

"I haven't finished thanking him," Atem said indignantly, yanking his arm out of Mahad's grasp and swimming closer to shallow water, his heart pounding so fast, it began to hurt in his chest. "I have something to discuss with him. Privately. Excuse us, and that's an order."

Mahad set his mouth in a tight line of disapproval and eyed the human suspiciously, reading his aura and his mind, hearing absolutely nothing.

Fine. It should be safe to leave Atem alone with the human who had originally freed him.

"Very well." Mahad said quietly, sinking back into the water with a deep bow. "I will wait at the mid-way point. Don't be long."

"I'll take as long as I want, Mahad," Atem growled, "Leave."

Kaiba gleefully watched Atem dismiss his bodyguard, and he moved to slide off the rock, hearing Atem call out to him again from below. "Don't move from your spot!"

"Why the hell not?" Kaiba asked, his entire body shaking with anticipation. "Or I can just jump down right onto you. Would you prefer that instead?"

"He can still hear us," Atem said shakily, listening intently to the thin splashes Mahad was making from afar. "He can't see us touching. I'll be put to death."

"Well…you should've said that sooner," Kaiba breathed, feeling deeply annoyed, and he waited three heartbeats before asking again. "How about now?"

"No," Atem replied, exasperated and amused at the human's eagerness to mate. "Let's talk for a while until he swims away. Tell me how you've been."

"Horny," Kaiba answered readily, already feeling his boner straining against the zipper on his pants. "I tried replacing you, but I failed."

"You...what?" Atem hissed, his blood running cold and hot at the same time. What did that mean? He edged away from the rock, feeling his stomach sinking terribly with a strange feeling.

"I fucked around," Kaiba said truthfully, wondering why it felt like he was admitting to adultery. "And I didn't find anyone I liked, because I like you."

Atem stared into Kaiba's face, his heart pounding painfully in his chest the longer he gazed into his eyes. That was…a nice thing to hear. But there was something else he needed to say first.

"You've rendered me infertile," Atem glared, folding his arms across his chest tightly. "It has been three moon cycles since my release and my surface illness has subsided, but my fertility did not return. It's your fault."

"Was it something I fed you?" Kaiba asked blandly, rolling his eyes. "You're shooting blanks. Big fucking deal."

Atem narrowed his eyes at Kaiba, not understanding the sudden influx of modern slang, but the uncaring tone was obvious.

"You don't have anything to say for yourself?" Atem demanded, wondering if it was too much to ask for an apology. "A human's touch, your touch, caused this—"

"And so what?" Kaiba interrupted, beginning to grow impatient and restless. "You want to find a wife and have some kids? Then why are you wasting your time here talking to me about it?"

Atem fell silent, realizing that the human was right.  
He didn't want that life for himself.  
At least, not right now. It was too soon.

"But what if I want a child? Years from now?" Atem argued, feeling as if they were wasting precious minutes of their time together. "Then I'm the only royal who would've failed to produce an heir."

"Boo fucking hoo," Kaiba sneered, rolling his eyes again. "Give me some DNA and I'll make you a little fish baby in a test tube. You can even pick the gender. How about that?"

"You-You can do that?" Atem cried, taken aback, and Kaiba nodded stiffly, replying arrogantly with, "I can do anything."

There was a tense silence and Kaiba broke it quickly.

"Is your annoying bodyguard gone yet? Don't bring him next time."

"I tried to come alone, but—" Atem protested, and he was cut off by Kaiba jumping straight down into the water beside him, catching him off guard.

The cold water was a terrible shock, but Kaiba powered through it and managed to throw himself around Atem, locking his ankles around his waist and relishing in his warmth, giving him a firm bite on his neck and taking deep shuddering breaths, drinking in his unique scent.

 _He's like a drug,_ Kaiba thought darkly, feeling hot hands snake through his hair as the merman pulled him into an open-mouthed kiss. The tips of their tongues swirled together in a happy greeting and Kaiba ground his hips forward furiously against Atem's smooth, muscular abdomen. A fuck. Now.

"Wait…wait," Atem gasped, pulling away from the human and feeling his stomach clench violently at the way Kaiba's hands were aggressively groping his backside. "If you keep touching me…I'll remain infertile."

"Shut up about that," Kaiba hissed, dragging his nails down Atem's smooth back and nuzzling his nose into the crook of his ear, shivering delightfully. "You're already here. I'll grow you a child in a lab if you need one that badly. Fuck me."

Atem reached forward and cupped Kaiba's face in his hands, gazing deeply into his face and his heart aching at the sight of his handsome face.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you," Atem whispered, and he was silenced with a fierce kiss.

Kaiba grinned and felt their teeth bump. The water was warming up around him as Atem's lips traveled down his neck, licking and sucking firmly on his Adam's apple.

"Take it off," Atem breathed, feeling the tip of his dick catching painfully on something metal and hard, and he retracted it quickly, glancing down in the water, wondering what it was.

Kaiba hastily unbuckled his belt and inched his pants down along his legs, his feet slipping terribly in the wet sand, and every time a wave washed over him, he would lose his footing.

"This is terrible. Come here," Atem decided, dragging Kaiba away from the shore and back to deeper water. "Here."

Kaiba bit back a gasp when the merman yanked him forward forcefully and pressed him against the rock. A warm silky tongue found its way between his legs while Atem's breath sensually grazed his ear, causing a hot thread of pleasure to trickle down his chest and pool low in his stomach.

Breathless with excitement, Kaiba braced himself against the rock and shut his eyes, wishing Atem would just bite him harder, fuck him harder, and do everything harder, because he had missed this so damn much.

Atem heard Kaiba's thoughts and happily obliged, tugging the underwear down so hard, he felt it rip after catching slightly on his claws, but he paid no mind, grinding his hips forward messily and enjoying the way Kaiba's legs locked around the back of his tail and gave him an encouraging squeeze. Atem pressed his lips tightly against Kaiba's ear and gave the curve a soft bite, letting his length twist and curl happily between the human's legs, each rough rub sending a blinding jolt of heat through his body.

Kaiba felt Atem lean into him roughly, pressing his cheek firmly against the rugged surface of the rock, almost causing his skin to scrape, but he paid it no mind, lost in the incredible sensation of Atem's dick between his legs, giving his balls repeated smooth strokes and slipping wonderfully up and down along his crack, teasing his clenching hole.

Both of Atem's hands were wrapped around his chest, and Kaiba pried one off to guide it down towards his front, enjoying the warm palm that circled the head of his penis while the tip of the heated tentacle slipped naughtily in and out of his hole, causing his legs to weaken terribly, and he sank down against Atem's weight, hearing the merman chuckle playfully in his ear.

"You weren't this shameless before…what changed?"

Atem licked his lips and felt his head spin powerfully as Kaiba's heels thumped insistently against the ends of his tail in a defiant response.

"I…want it…inside," Kaiba hissed, his eyes watering from effort. He had been holding his breath so tightly, his lungs felt like exploding, and Atem's tentacle was still sliding suggestively over his hole, sending deep, burning waves of pleasure through his entire body, so he clamped his legs tighter around the merman's tail and arched his back excitedly, not caring who could hear or see them.

All that mattered was the amazing, curling tentacle, twisting up his insides and driving him mad.

Atem leaned forward to bite down on Kaiba's neck one last time before shoving himself deep into him, rising enthusiastically up against the human's taut body and listening to his excited pants while his arousal moved inside of him, the wonderful softness of Kaiba's hole sending him into a heated frenzy. He bucked his hips forward roughly, exactly as Kaiba had requested, and he heard the human let out an ecstatic cry, the sound raising the hair on his arms and causing his ears to ring.

What a beautiful sound…!

Kaiba's cheek scraped against the rock again as Atem coiled into him aggressively, churning his insides with vigor, leaving his legs weak and useless and his body limp with pleasure. Holy fuck…it didn't even hurt anymore because…he had been masturbating with the dildo.  
This time was better than all the previous times he'd had sex!

"You've been doing what?" Atem breathed, wondering if his ears were deceiving him. The human was sticking things back there? Attempting to replace him?

Shaking his head weakly, Kaiba grit his teeth and rode out a low orgasmic wave, shuddering tightly in Atem's grasp before a hand came to stifle his finish mid-way.

The merman gripped the base of his dick with vicious glee, his fangs grazing the shell of his ear while he growled, "You can't replace me. Not with an object, and certainly not with another human. How dare you!"

Kaiba let his breath out in a shuddering hiss and grew hot and cold all over, hating and loving the feeling at the same time. He was all ready to cum, and Atem had stifled him, choking the life out of him and leaving him hanging in a glorious limbo between pleasure and release.

 _I want to cum, I want to cum,_ Kaiba chanted frantically in his mind, and he earned a thick tongue in his ear followed by an amused laugh.

"Already? You haven't even experienced me at my fullest," Atem said in a jeering whisper, running his hand through Kaiba's light brown hair and pulling his head back so he could see his face. "When I'm healthy, I can go for _days,_ human. One of your sunlit days."

 _Oh fuck, I'm going to die_ , Kaiba thought meekly as he shivered violently with anticipation. The merman gave his dick another firm stroke while the tentacle inside his ass stiffened suddenly, and began ramming into him without pause, stretching him painfully the deeper it went, and Kaiba could've sworn it extended inside of him, thudding against the inner walls of his stomach and reaching a high point inside of him, drawing a reluctant orgasm from his already pleasure-torn body, causing him to shudder violently and cum.

Pleased, Atem continued to enjoy himself fully, knowing that Kaiba could take it.

He coiled his tail upwards, feeling Kaiba's legs tighten further around him and he sighed happily, letting his tentacle curl languidly inside of the human's soft insides, relishing in the warm wetness. Every time he gave himself a lewd swirl, the human would tense against his body and let out another tantalizing gasp.

This was heavenly. How long could the human's hole take this treatment before it was too much?

It was already too much for Kaiba. He was half-conscious, dimly aware that he was still facing a slippery rock with his palms braced against it, but his body was behaving with a mind of its own, twisting, shivering, and trembling with ecstasy as the merman slowed his pace and began lavishing him slowly, licking up his neck and planting a firm kiss on his cheek before picking up the pace again, building another raw orgasm deep inside his stomach.

"You've gone quiet," Atem murmured worriedly, raking his hands across Kaiba's hair and seeing the human's eyes fully closed, his expression blissful. "Too much? Should we stop? Human...? Human, I haven't released yet."

He pulled away and gently extracted himself, his arousal still throbbing painfully from holding back.

Kaiba felt himself being gently turned around, and he unconsciously draped his arms around Atem's shoulders, letting his head fall limply to the side, his chest heaving with every breath.

Atem smirked playfully and slipped his tentacle between Kaiba's legs again, the tip eagerly finding the hole with ease and thrusting inside of it with reckless abandon while he curled himself protectively against Kaiba's body. He noticed a trickle of blood running down Kaiba's cheek from where the rock had scraped him.

Instinctively, Atem licked it off his skin and felt positively electrified.

He trailed his lips down the side of Kaiba's cheek to find his parted mouth, kissing him passionately. His vision went white the moment Kaiba's hole clenched greedily around his arousal, and his body shivered with pleasure, riding out orgasmic surge that assaulted him steadily.

Kaiba tightened his legs around Atem's waist and bucked his hips forward limply, feeling his asshole aching, but he didn't care. Atem could fuck him until he couldn't see or think straight anymore, and he'd appreciate it.

Atem stayed stubbornly inside of Kaiba's hole, curling his tentacle upwards higher and higher, wondering how far it went.  
 _This_ was the real reason why mating with humans was dangerous.  
Everything about them, their expressions, their cries, their insides…it was all glorious and addicting.

"Don't…go," Kaiba breathed, keeping his eyes closed and his arms tightly around Atem's neck, pressing his lips down against his tanned shoulder and giving it a tender kiss.

Atem reluctantly withdrew himself and he felt Kaiba continue to tighten around him with such force, the air was nearly squeezed out of his lungs.

Kaiba slowly regained his vision, but his head was still spinning violently, and the way the waved bobbed was making him nauseous.  
He had to hold onto Atem, or he'd slip away…forever, for who knew how long? Another month? Another three months?  
He couldn't live like this! It was torture!

"I'll come back," Atem reassured him, but to his surprise, the CEO shook his head vehemently and glared at him with dark blue eyes.

"Every week. Show your face every week," Kaiba demanded breathlessly, his heart still pounding thickly in his chest and he appreciated how the water around them was still warm. "I waited for you…!"

"Yes, human, I thought of you often too," Atem said hastily, giving Kaiba another reassuring pat as his panic began to set in. "Loosen your grip. I need to be on my way."

"No, stay here for a while longer," Kaiba snapped, regaining his strength and clinging heavily onto Atem, feeling the merman's tail curling and uncurling beneath them steadily, keeping them afloat. "Come back next week."

"I don't know if I can!" Atem said nervously, and the human reached out to tug on a strand of his spiky blonde bangs, glaring intently into his face.

"Hey." Kaiba blinked rapidly as the salt water stung his eyes and he wondered if he ought to say it.  
Would it change anything between them?  
Ah, fuck it.  
Maybe he shouldn't say it.

"What is it?" Atem asked curiously, gently dabbing at the cut on Kaiba's pale cheek, and he felt a rush of guilt.  
He had been too rough.  
That was what the human wanted to say.

"I'm in love with you." Kaiba said hurriedly, and he gazed into Atem's face nervously, watching his expression carefully for a reaction.

Speechless, Atem smiled kindly and wondered if the appropriate response was to kiss the human after receiving such a nice compliment.  
After a moment's hesitation, he did.

Leaning forward, Atem gave Kaiba a soft lingering kiss and watched the human close his eyes and sigh…in relief?

And a stream of rapid thoughts invaded his consciousness in a familiar manner.

 _He didn't say it back.  
He didn't say it back! But he kissed me so softly.  
It must mean he accepts my feelings.  
We're always shouting back and forth at each other anyway.  
I made it weird. Oh god, I made it weird.  
He's angry at me for sleeping with other people—_

Atem jerked his head back and pushed the human away shakily.  
Oh…oh no.  
Seto Kaiba had not meant that as a compliment.  
This was Human Attachment! This was bad.

"What? Are you angry?" Kaiba asked aggressively, his cheeks burning with anger and humiliation. "I won't sleep around anymore. You've got me. You win. Is that what you want to hear?"

Atem laughed and smiled nervously, his chest tightening with the strange pain again, and he took that as a cue to leave.

"I'm starting to feel ill again," Atem lied hurriedly, leading the human by the arm towards shallow water. "I'll see what I can do about meeting you next week, but…my people have been acting overprotective."

"I know, I saw," Kaiba said, reaching out to grab onto Atem's arm tightly and his fingers tightened over a golden armband. "Are you angry with me? That was a bad time to say it."

"No, I'm not angry," Atem said reassuringly, and he gently grazed his knuckles across Kaiba's cheek tenderly. "I'm sorry your face got scratched. Heal soon, human."

"I have a name, you know," Kaiba growled in response, and to his rising disappointment, the merman slipped out of his grasp and hovered in the distance, bobbing on the shallow waves coming in.

"Until next time, human!" Atem called playfully, giving Kaiba an energetic wave before diving off down to the bottom, his body trembling from head to toe with a strange jitteriness.

"Fuck…" Kaiba cried, shivering in the freezing cold water without his pants, his belt, or his underwear.

He waded out of the water and dashed across the beach, aiming to get back into the house as quickly as possible, his heart thudding painfully in his chest at the merman's subtle rejection.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Kaiba is sad he's just a fun plaything for the merman, karma is a real bitch.

Atem got some birthday dickings but his staff seem wary of him going to shore. But the sex is good, and Atem's infertility is no longer a worry because kaiba can just fix it with hashtag science. Idk how the merpeople will feel about a test tube baby tho lol kek

xo  
Ugli

-this chapter was edited by setokaibaes/marshmallons-


	11. Chapter 11

Atem swam slowly through the palace hallways, searching for Isis.

He decided to try her private chambers first, so he swam towards the female wing of the palace, awkwardly floating by several groups of giggling mermaids who all stared at him as he passed.

Finally reaching Isis's door, he gave it a gentle knock, and to his pleasant relief, Isis herself answered, her black hair beautifully sleek in the semi-darkness.

"My king," she said politely, bowing and opening her door further. "Thank you for gracing me with an unannounced visit."

"I hope I'm not bothering you," Atem said uncertainly. "I've come to seek your advice regarding Human Attachment."

The mermaid shook her head kindly and floated back to let him in, moving to sit on her plush lounge.

"Human Attachment?" she said, frowning. "Did something happen with a human on shore?"

Damn, Isis was sharp.

Atem hovered awkwardly in the doorway, unsure if he should enter.

Isis had the deepest knowledge of this subject out of all the other merfolk in his court, because she had a half-brother who was half-human. She was the best advisor he could seek in this situation.

"Regarding the human who released me, Seto Kaiba," Atem replied nervously, floating inside to sit beside her on her sponge lounge. "I thanked him, and we had a conversation about love. He kept saying the word love but acted strangely."

"I see," Isis said simply, running her hands through her hair smoothly, looking relieved. "Humans define 'love' differently, which is why we call it Human Attachment, to prevent confusion."

"Right," Atem said uncertainly, wondering if there was anything to be worried about in the first place. "I'm being ridiculous. I'll take my leave now."

"No, no, I'll explain it better." Isis reached out and placed her hand gently over Atem's arm to give it a warm squeeze. "We love each other, don't we? You love me, Mana, and Mahad, just as how I love you, my king. Correct?"

"Indeed. I love you too," Atem replied, frowning, now growing more confused. "So, when a human says this to you, it's a great compliment. I understand now."

"No," Isis mirrored his frown, now looking deeply worried. "Humans rarely say this to each other in passing. They only say it to those they hold dear. Like, a wife, or a child. Their kin. Was the human Seto Kaiba talking about his kin?"

"Yes he was," Atem lied vehemently, his cheeks burning. "His child brother, Mokuba."

"Now that's a different type of attachment too," Isis declared, and Atem felt his head spin.  
Maybe he was idiotic for forgetting all that he'd learned about Human Attachment in school.

That had been nearly a millennium ago…so did he have anything to fear or not?

"I'll break it down for you," Isis said hurriedly, sensing Atem's distress. "The least dangerous form of Human Attachment is friendship. The second one you're asking about, is the 'love' humans feel for their kin."

"I see," Atem said, now thoroughly confused if Kaiba had meant he 'loved him' as a friend, because he knew the human most certainly didn't see him as kin.

"Still confused?" Isis said worriedly, smiling sympathetically. "The third most dangerous form of human love, is the one we've explicitly banned…this is the one that gets a mermaid into the most trouble."

"Only mermaids?" Atem said, wondering why dangerous human love only afflicted their female population, and Isis shook her head.

"Only in our kingdom, we've had an instance of two mermaids having shore-relations with a human who felt Deep Attachment for them."

"And what is Deep Attachment?" Atem asked desperately, now regretting having ever asked. "Friendship, love for your mate, and love for your kin. Is there anything further than that? Do merpeople feel Deep Attachment for each other?"

Isis tilted her head thoughtfully, "Unsure. But this type of human love is more potent than even the thickest of blood pacts. This is what makes human contact extremely dangerous."

Atem blinked, slowly digesting her words, his stomach churning.  
How could he tell one attachment from another?  
Humans were so confusing.  
Did humans not love each other in their society the way merpeople did?

Isis was still talking. "If a human were to love a mermaid with conviction, they would do anything. Unthinkable things. Humans are feeling creatures. Perhaps I'm not doing a good job explaining it to you, my lord."

"I think I understand," Atem said shakily, and Isis's hand tightened over his arm while she gazed deeply into his eyes when she spoke, "Perhaps it would help if you visited the mermaids in Confinement."

"Why would I do that?" Atem gasped, backing away slowly and eyeing the door behind him, now wishing he could leave without further questioning. "They've committed unspeakable crimes, haven't they?"

"Yes, but not against us," Isis said softly, swimming forward gently to hold the door open for him. "They've committed crimes against humans…by forcing Deep Attachment onto them, and the humans who were affected died painfully. Pay them a visit sometime, won't you?"

"I…I'm not sure I want to." Atem winced, wondering what good it would do to visit prisoners in his spare time when he could use it to sneak away to visit Seto Kaiba.

"You'll hear their stories firsthand and understand why," Isis said firmly. "Maybe when you're older, we can go together. They can be very intimidating sometimes."

Atem frowned and nodded, reaching forward to caress Isis's hand in thanks before swimming off down the hallway.

Next, it was time to ask Mahad about Human Attachment.  
His view would probably be less gentle than Isis's.

* * *

Kaiba stared at vials of clear liquid presented to him by his two chemists, and he picked one up tentatively, holding it up to the light for closer inspection.

These glass vials didn't look like they contained anything special. It looked exactly like water.

"This is the purest form," the female chemist said proudly, "We've managed to eliminate the odor too."

"Did you get into a fight, Mr. Kaiba?" the male chemist asked, pointing at the thin bandage on Kaiba's cheek. "Try a few drops of this, maybe it'll heal faster."

"I'll take these with me," Kaiba said gruffly, grabbing all five vials and moving to the door.

He had gotten painful scratches all over his back from the way Atem had pushed him up against the rock.

Two large bruises dotted his knees too, and Kaiba had spent a good while in the mirror examining his still-healing wounds before getting dressed this morning.

Stepping into the elevator, he gripped the vials and sighed.

If each weekly sex session with Atem was going to leave deep cuts on his face and body, he needed to come up with a solution…fast.

If suspicious marks kept showing up on his face, the media was going to start questioning it, and that was the last thing he needed.

As the elevator rose higher, Kaiba gazed down at the clear liquid, briefly wondering if he could save himself hassle of applying it topically, and just…ingest it.

But who or what could he test this on?

The serum had healing properties, so theoretically, if he drank it, it should heal all the cuts on his body…even…back there, because his asshole had throbbed painfully for three days afterwards.

Without a second thought, Kaiba uncapped the vial and tossed it back with ease, making sure it didn't touch his tongue as he poured it down his throat.

The elevator doors opened and Kaiba stepped out, suddenly growing cold all over.

He froze mid-step, wondering if he had just inadvertently killed himself by ingesting the merman's liquified scales, before the feeling passed quickly, and he felt perfectly normal again.

Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Kaiba walked nervously through the hallway and down a flight of stairs, exiting to the parking garage.

He pressed his keys, seeing his headlights blink from afar, and he hastened his pace, another wave of cold consuming him before fading as quickly as it came.

Ah shit…was he going to turn into fish now?

Shivering, Kaiba threw himself into the car and pried the mirror down from the visor above, carefully peeling the bandage off his cheek to check the cut.

The deep scratch on his cheek had vanished, along with the scab.

There was nothing but smooth skin underneath the bandage, and Kaiba sat up straighter, reaching around his back and pressing his fingers into the places that had been causing him pain for the past few days.

He felt nothing.

Thrumming with excitement, Kaiba started the engine and decided to inspect himself closer when he got home.

* * *

"Human Attachment?" Mahad frowned, carrying an empty mesh sack in his arms as he floated through the hallways with Atem at his side. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Seto Kaiba, now would it?"

"You're sharp as ever," Atem praised, his chest tightening with anxiety at the lies he was about to tell. "The human has a brother. A child. And he was—"

"Then it has nothing to do with you," Mahad interrupted, swimming right out the palace gates and pausing to hold his hand up protectively. "I'm out to gather scales from the salons. The drop-off to shore is today. Please stay here, my lord."

"I wasn't finished talking," Atem fumed, hating how everyone was now treating him like a precious object that could be broken at any moment. "Tell me about the most dangerous form of Human Attachment. I believe they also call it 'love'."

"They do," Mahad said, frowning with worry. "That's why we call it Deep Attachment instead."

"Real helpful." Atem rolled his eyes and sighed. "Isis said the same thing."

"Our love is unconditional," Mahad declared, shaking his dark hair off his shoulders proudly. "Humans need a condition for Deep Attachment to happen. We, as merfolk, will love one another because we all share the same ocean, and we live in harmony. Humans war, constantly. They don't feel love between each other without a condition."

"So what makes Deep Attachment different from regular love?" Atem asked curling his fists at his sides, his confusion rising once more. "It shouldn't be dangerous if a human were to love one of us, right?"

"Wrong," Mahad said deeply, and after a moment of silence, he sighed. "Fine. Do you want to come with me to gather the scales?"

"Yes!" Atem said instantly, swimming out through the gates to join Mahad in the open water. "Keep talking. Why is it dangerous then?"

Mahad sighed and swam forward slowly, understanding that the young king's questions about humans were increasing because of his contact with Seto Kaiba.

"Say if a human were to become Deeply Attached to you," Mahad said, wondering how he could explain this in the simplest terms. "For humans, it signifies loyalty, and they will behave erratically, all for the attention of a mermaid, or a merman."

"Like a mating dance," Atem said, and Mahad shook his head again, exasperated.

He stopped above a glittering shell-covered rooftop and gave Atem an appraising look.

"We dance to show our respect for our mates, and to draw attention to ourselves. A human will do anything…even something to endanger themselves…if they were to become attached to you."

"I see," Atem blinked rapidly, feeling relieved. "Thank you. I understand now."

Mahad nodded and dove down towards the salon doors, the empty mesh sack bobbing gently over his shoulder.

Seto Kaiba didn't behave that way, so there was no Deep Attachment between them.

The 'love' Kaiba had meant was the friendly kind.

"What's that?" Mahad shot upwards through the water towards him, his eyes wide with concern, and Atem backed away, startled, realizing his thoughts had been heard.

"I—…The human said he loves me," Atem stammered nervously, seeing Mahad narrow his eyes suspiciously. "That's why I've been asking. My memory on the stages of Human Attachment is rusty."

"I see," Mahad said icily, folding his arms across his muscular chest and gazing off into the distance. "I suppose the human has a gentle side to him. Did he say that to you during the drop-off last week?"

"Yes," Atem said hurriedly, regretting ever having brought this topic up with Mahad, so he lied quickly.

"He said he loves me like a brother. He feels we could be friends."

" _I_ love you like a brother," Mahad insisted, his face darkening. "And I've known you since you were a mere hatchling. He cannot love you like a brother the way I can."

"I understand." Atem smiled nervously, and to his relief, he was saved by two mermaids swimming up towards them carrying the mesh sack, which was now heavy with dead scales.

"Warrior! King!" she cried, and her companion blushed prettily. "What a pleasure! Two nobles instead of one!"

"Thank you," Mahad said darkly, lifting the mesh sack out of her arms without smiling. "Good day. Atem?"

"Good day," Atem said politely, receiving gentle caresses on his arm from the women before he swam hastily after Mahad with uncertainty churning low inside of his stomach.

The more he thought about it, Seto Kaiba's love for him was sexual, and not brotherly.

No matter. He could ask the human today when he rose to shore to deliver the scales.

* * *

Kaiba slung his bag full of spare clothes over his shoulder and climbed the rock, feeling strangely light and nimble.

He sat cross-legged at the top and closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths, reflecting on his day.

He had done something incredibly brilliant, or incredibly stupid today, depending on how he looked at it.

 _I am test subject one,_ Kaiba thought weakly, wondering if he would start sprouting webs between his toes.

But his cuts and bruises had all healed, and his mind was oddly clear.  
This was very similar to how he'd felt after vigorous sex with the merman.

 _Then maybe his semen has similar properties,_ Kaiba mused, wondering what would happen if he drank Atem's seed.  
Did he even want to try?  
What if it was poisonous?

Realizing he'd never gotten a call back from the lab, Kaiba slipped his phone out to send them an email, but just as he did so, he heard a faint splash in the water.

Excited, Kaiba shoved his phone into the bag and peered over the edge of the rock, seeing nothing but dark water underneath him.

"Atem?" he called hopefully, and there was no response other than the light waves lapping at shore.

In the water, Mahad grit his teeth tightly and ignored it. It had taken a lot of arguing to keep Atem from following him to make this delivery.  
The human was a bad influence.

He kicked off the rock and swam away quickly, thinking he would tell the king not to pursue a relationship with this human.

Atem was waiting from afar. After having snuck out of the palace, he kept his distance from Mahad, making sure his bodyguard had left the rock before he swam steadily forward. He could see Kaiba waiting for him on the shore, and his skin tingled at the thought of the human touching him again.

He knew he was doing something illegal, but Atem told himself that this was payment in return for the human's kindness.

Once they got bored of each other, they'd go their separate ways.

Excited, he swam forward quickly, wondering what greeting he would give the human tonight.

Several meters below, Mahad thought he felt Atem's presence, and his instincts told him to turn back towards the rock, to double check.

If Atem had followed him to shore to greet the human, he had done so alone, and thus endangering himself. Sighing, Mahad turned and swam upwards again, beginning to feel quite tired.  
He was getting too old to babysit the young merman. Atem was fully grown already.  
Why was he acting like a fresh hatchling?!

On shore, Kaiba sat back on his heels and gazed down into the water, disappointment swirling thickly in his chest.

Not Atem.

Whoever it was had left already.

Angry and frustrated, Kaiba slid off the rock and his feet touched the sand.

Damn it. Damn it! Atem had promised to come every week!  
Why would he make such a promise if he was going to break it?

Now furious, Kaiba gave the wet sand a rough kick.  
He had been looking forward to this all day…all week!

Thoughts of Atem were what kept him sane.

Atem hovered beneath the shallow water, hearing all of Kaiba's angry thoughts, feeling oddly flattered that the human thought of him so often.

Perhaps now would be a good time to reveal himself.

He stuck his hand out of the water and waved, still hearing a tirade of thoughts coming from shore.

 _He doesn't even like me back! I probably scared him off by telling him that I loved him—_

Atem rose slowly out of the water and bobbed gently against the waves, seeing the human pacing back and forth on the beach, feeling a twinge of pity.

This human really liked him.

Deciding to surprise him, Atem swam all the way to the sandy edge, making sure a particularly strong wave washed him to shore, and he rolled comfortably across the sand, gazing down at his exposed tail and waving it absently.

Kaiba heard a wet splash and he jerked his head up, shocked to see Atem lying enticingly on the sand, his scales gleaming in the soft moonlight.

His breath caught in his throat with excitement as he dashed over to the merman, throwing himself down in the sand beside him, hugging him tightly.

Atem laughed joyfully as Kaiba pulled him into a tight embrace and rolled heavily on top of him, his legs tightly straddling his tail.

Mahad held his breath and hovered angrily behind the rock, horrified to see Atem reveal himself on shore and let the human tackle him down in a playful wrestle.  
 _  
Atem…!_ Mahad growled internally, furious at the king.

He had half the mind to show himself to drag the royal back into the water and all the way home, but he held back, watching and waiting for the right moment.

Kaiba dug his knees deeper into the wet sand, keeping Atem pinned beneath him as he gazed down into his delicate face, taking in his magnificently spiky hair and the gold wing-shaped earrings that decorated his earlobes.

He leaned down to kiss Atem, gently at first, then harder, relishing in the soft plumpness of his lips and the light tang of salt that lingered on his tongue.

The way Atem's tail tensed and curled between his legs was an arousing feeling, and Atem's arms wrapped around his neck were pulling him in deeper. He was drowning in the merman's wonderfully delicious scent.

Mahad bit his lip so hard, he tasted blood.  
Atem's tail was curling happily beneath the human's legs, and they were engaging in an act of kissing.  
Repeated kissing.  
Almost as if they were kissing to mate.

Atem felt Kaiba lick his way down his neck and he opened his eyes slowly, gazing up at the beautiful night sky, taking deep, refreshing breaths.

Amazing…it felt so good. Everything the human did felt good.  
But he was always the one entering. Maybe they could have a change of pace today.

"Seto Kaiba…" Atem said weakly, reaching down to gently pat the human's head while Kaiba's lips stopped just beneath his nipple, his hot breath sending shivers down his spine

Kaiba smiled against Atem's skin, trembling with delight.  
He was living a dream…surely.  
The upper body of this man was beautiful, and the rest of him was a mystery; a delicious, wondrous, sexual mystery.

"I'm sorry I lied to you before," Atem said shakily, watching Kaiba continue to drag his lips down the side of his body. "I do have a hole—"

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Kaiba grinned evilly, his teeth glinting white in the semi-darkness. "Where is it?"

"Behind…me," Atem replied uncertainly, wondering if this was a good idea.

The waves lapped gently at his tail, and Kaiba ignored the cold water seeping in through his pant legs and into his shoes.

Today was going to be a historic and momentous day.  
He was going to fuck a merman.

The big question now was…how.  
Facedown? Or in his arms?

"Get out of your head," Atem demanded, tightening his arms around Kaiba's neck and baring his fangs in frustration. "But if you were giving me a choice, I'd like to remain in your arms."

"Good," Kaiba breathed, thinking about it for a moment before he rolled off the merman's body and sat beside him.

Atem watched with rising interest as the human unbuckled his pants pushed them off his legs, sitting bravely in the sand with his bare bottom.

His stiffness was very visible between his legs, sticking resolutely upright and slick with wetness at the tip.

Staring at it, Atem inched closer towards him, feeling the human trying to pull him onto his lap.

Kaiba bent forward and swept Atem up in his arms with a great effort, sliding the cold tail over his own legs and running his hand down Atem's side, methodically counting each ridge, wondering where the hole was.

He found a spot above a soft scale and he grinned, shifting Atem in his arms.  
Ah shit…this was going to be hard.  
Was the hole…self-lubricating?  
Also, he was about to lower Atem onto his dick repeatedly while he just laid there in his arms? This would get tiring very quickly.

"What's wrong?" Atem asked breathlessly, beginning to feel impatient.

"Get on your side," Kaiba said, shivering slightly from the cold. "You're heavy, and this isn't going to work."

Mahad felt his eyes beginning to water with pain from what he was witnessing.  
The human had pulled Atem into a tight embrace before ordering him to lay on his side.

Oh no…no, no, no!  
He was not seeing this!  
What was happening?!

The human was now prodding the merman's entrance with his manhood.

Covering his eyes with both of his hands, Mahad sank underwater, no longer wanting to watch anymore, but he was close enough to hear the human's thoughts, strangely coupled together with Atem's.

 _"It hurts!"  
"Found it!"  
"How does he find this enjoyable?"  
"It's dry…how strange."_

Mahad slowly rose to the surface again, keeping half of his face underwater, his stomach twisting when he saw the human slide his fingers into Atem's slit in the front before moving to smear the wetness across his backside, and he sank under the water again, feeling hot and cold all over.

How…filthy!  
Merpeople mating looked nothing like this!  
In all his years…on land and in the sea, he had never witnessed anything like this.  
Man and mermaid? Yes  
But man and merman? No.  
This was something completely different.

And judging by Atem's thoughts, he was neither struggling nor complaining.  
If anything, he was enjoying this!

Kicking off the rock, Mahad swam away quickly, his heart pounding painfully in his chest while his mind spun with confusion.

"That feels…odd," Atem breathed, and Kaiba kissed him gently down his neck, alternating between dipping his fingers into his lubricated slit and quickly moving to smear it over the hole underneath a scale on his backside.

With his fingers fully coated with Atem's wetness, Kaiba tentatively inserted a second finger into the tight hole and gave it a firm stretch, hearing the merman gasp and thrash his tail in response, glaring at him.

"You're quite small, but my hole is smaller," Atem said defiantly, goosebumps rising along the backs of his arms as Kaiba gave him another teasing thrust.  
He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

"You won't fit," Atem whispered, feeling Kaiba edge stubbornly closer to him and prod his hole with the tip of his dick. "Human…"

"I have a name, use it." Kaiba snapped, leaning Atem down against the sand and spreading his fingers wider with effort before pressing his hardness against Atem's opening and pressing a soft kiss on his neck, giving himself a tentative nudge.

Atem hissed in pain, and after a short pause, Kaiba withdrew and sat up slowly with his brow furrowed in concern.

"Let's not…" Kaiba said uncertainly, somehow feeling as if he had ruined the mood with his odd poking and prodding. There was no proper lubricant, and Atem seemed not to like it. His glares were putting him off even more.

The mood was gone; ruined by inexperience.

Atem eased himself onto his back and propped himself up on his elbows, nodding stiffly at Kaiba, understanding that the human was afraid of hurting him.

The pain had been off-putting, and there was heavy resignation in the air between them.

"Then why does it feel good for you?" Atem asked heatedly, shivering slightly from the cold, and he wished Kaiba would embrace him warmly again. "Come closer."

"Because I'm used to it," Kaiba said plainly, inching up beside Atem and lying down in the sand, tucking his hands behind his head and letting the cold waves lap playfully at his ankles. "And yours is…soft, and it goes in easier. Mine is different."

He pulled his wet pants halfway up his hips in an attempt to stay warm.

They laid together in silence for a while, with nothing but the sound of waves and the wind around them. Atem gazed up at the sky, taking in the wonderful indigo color and the silver stars twinkling merrily.  
Sighing happily, he held his finger up to trace a constellation.

"Every half moon, those stars always align," he said softly, and a pale hand came upwards to touch his. Long, slender fingers laced through the back of his hand and held on tightly.

He felt his skin burn pleasantly and he turned to give Kaiba a warm smile.

Kaiba gazed at the merman beside him, taking in the way his hair splayed out wonderfully across the sand, and his voice caught in this throat for the millionth time as he tried to speak.

Even in the dark, Atem seemed to glow with a mysterious aura, and Kaiba found it was difficult to remain composed, given how taken aback he was every time by his beauty.

"I love you," Kaiba said softly, doing his best to break the silence, and Atem let out a deep laugh, sending a wonderful chill up his spine.

"I know!" Atem replied playfully, rolling on top of Kaiba and draping his arms lazily over Kaiba's shoulders, pressing his nose down to meet his, inhaling his sweet breath.

Kaiba reached up and threaded his hand through Atem's hair, pulling him down into a soft kiss, relishing in the salty tang of saliva and the silkiness of his tongue when it slipped in through the tops of his teeth, giving the roof of his mouth a teasing lick, sending another delicious shiver up his body.  
Kissing Atem was like a doing drug he couldn't quit.  
Why was it so magical and different every time?  
And why couldn't Atem say that he loved him back?

Atem pulled away softly and grinned, his fang flashing white in the moonlight, "So many compliments, Seto Kaiba. You must really like me."

"I thought…that was obvious." Kaiba said through gritted teeth, and Atem grinned prettily again.

"Then let's make a blood pact," the merman declared, shaking his blonde bangs out of his face which were beginning to dry. "Because you neglected to bring me a gift for my birthday during our last meeting."

" _I_ was the gift," Kaiba growled, throwing his arms around Atem's body and rolling heavily on top of him, pinning him down firmly. "You're lucky I give you the time of day."

Atem grinned and shut his eyes, enjoying the way Kaiba kissed, licked, and nibbled his way down his neck. He grabbed a fistful of the human's light brown hair, yanking his head away from his nipple and baring his fangs.

"Make a pact with me, Seto Kaiba," Atem demanded, his stomach curling with arousal as Kaiba shook his head and pressed his cheek flush against the center of his chest.

"I'm not an idiot," Kaiba said quietly. "Your bodyguard said that blood pacts were dangerous, even when you fishes do it."

"Call me a fish one more damn time," Atem hissed, baring his fangs playfully and shoving Kaiba off his body. "I'll bite you."

The CEO laughed and tumbled off the merman's upper body before he hastily picked his belt up from around his ankles, shivering from the cold.

"Fine, how does it work?" Kaiba asked lightly, wondering if there was some crazy science involved in this act too. "I demand that you come up for air twice a week. Once a week isn't enough."

"I demand that you treat me and my people with respect," Atem shot back readily. "You know of our existence, and you are receiving scales from us. If our relationship were to sour, I don't want a war."

Kaiba gaped at the merman, unable to find his own voice after being stunned into silence. S-Seriously? Here he was, asking for more face time, and the merman was retaliating with something political?

"Do you even like me at all?" Kaiba asked venomously, his heart shattering quickly as he noticed Atem's smile faltering.

"Yes, you're very handsome," Atem assured him quickly, but his stomach churned strangely at his own words, and he had a feeling he was doing something wrong. "I can't surface that often, or I'll get sick. You know that."

Kaiba remained silent, trying to quell his turbulent emotions. This "relationship" was just sexual for the merman. Every time he mentioned his feelings for Atem, he was shot down with a gentle smile.

 _I fucked up!_ Kaiba grit his teeth while his ears rang with the empty roars of the waves crashing up against the rock. He was furious with himself.

"I swear…to love you for as long as I am able," Atem said quickly, his cheeks burning with embarrassment as he held out his wrist to make the pact. "In return, you promise not to tell anyone of our existence, and you will not try to colonize or raid our ocean."

"Mokuba knows about you," Kaiba said nastily, curling his cold fingers into a tight fist as he stood over the merman in the semi-darkness. "What the fuck makes you think I want to raid your part of the ocean?"

"Then make the pact," Atem snapped, lifting a finger and elongating one thin claw on his index finger. "I cut you, and then I cut myself. Our blood mingles. Our word is our bond. Breaking this bond will result in a painful death, and devastating—"

"Yeah, magical shit." Kaiba smirked coldly and rolled up his wet sleeve. "Hurry up."

Atem narrowed his eyes and hesitated, mentally pulling up all his previous knowledge of blood pacts.

First, the wording had to be simple and clear.

Second, everything needed to be said in one breath.

Third, blood needed to mingle.

Was that all?

Kaiba noticed the merman had fallen silent, and he slowly knelt by his side, trailing his eyes down his large, red tail, taking in every soft shimmer under the dim moonlight.

Making a blood pact should be fine. He made risky deals in the boardrooms…weekly, and they've always paid off. The key was to trust his own instincts, and to know his opponent.  
The merman was easy enough to figure out.

 _I'm his opponent?_ Atem wondered uncertainly, thinking that this was partially true.

"Well?" Kaiba prompted, holding out his exposed forearm and suppressing a shiver. Damn it was cold. Was this deal happening or not? Maybe this thing was like a marriage contract. Could he make the merman grow some legs and join him on land?

"No, I won't agree to that," Atem said instantly, sitting up straighter and swiftly scanning the ocean horizon before them.  
He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched!  
Perhaps this pact was a bad idea.

"Then…no deal," Kaiba said coldly, withdrawing his arm and moving to stand. "I want to see you often, and I want you to return my feelings. Two simple things, Atem."

"I will return your feelings," Atem said hopefully, grabbing onto the human's arm and gazing deeply into his blue eyes, which had become oddly dark. "You don't hear me when I say that rising to shore often will make me sick."

"I'd rather you come up often than return my feelings." Kaiba shot back, his spirits sinking steadily with every painful beat of his heart. "Or at least…once every two weeks. Once a month?! Give me something that isn't 'never'."

"Very well." Atem squared his shoulders and tightened his grip over Kaiba's arm, letting the warmth burn reassuringly into his palm. "I swear meet you on shore as often as I can between my duties, and I will also return your feelings."

Kaiba nodded stiffly, fixating on Atem's gold wing-like earring, listening to the thudding of his own heart. Good. That was what he wanted, right? Feelings returned and meeting on shore.

"Now, say you will agree to keep our secret," Atem said readily, extending the sharp claw on his index finger again and hovering it above a pale patch of skin on Kaiba's arm, shaking with a mixture of fear and anticipation.

"I swear…I won't _personally_ tell anyone that you and your fish people exist," Kaiba announced loftily. "But Mokuba knows, and I can't control his actions. I don't want a war and won't start one."

"You're including your brother in your statement?" Atem asked, slightly surprised, but he dismissed it quickly and held up his own arm, still hesitating. "I will…make the cut now. You must say it all in one breath, understood?"

"Yeah, fine," Kaiba answered carelessly, settling down in the sand comfortably. If this pact would make the merman feel better, he'd do it. This was ridiculous, but this meant he could hear Atem admit his feelings aloud, and that made everything worth it.

Meanwhile, floating behind the rock underneath the water, Mahad froze with cold terror. He had returned after several moments, hoping to see Atem swimming away from shore, but this was a whole other disaster waiting to happen.

Atem was trying to be noble, but he was doing a stupid thing!

He was doing it with the kingdom in mind…but this was so incredibly dangerous! Was there anything he could do to stop this?

"I draw my own blood first," Atem declared shakily, trailing the tip of his claw lightly down the side of his wrist, and his blood shone eerily green in the low moonlight.

Kaiba blinked rapidly, feeling as if something was off, but he couldn't figure out what.  
Too late.  
This was happening and there was no backing out now.

"I swear on my blood," Atem whispered, "to meet you, Seto Kaiba, on shore as often as I can between my duties, and I will also return your feelings."

He had no idea what that meant, but if it would appease the human, he would say it.

Kaiba swallowed thinly and felt his entire body grow oddly numb, and the world quieted around him. The wind stilled, and the roaring waves suddenly calmed.  
Oh…fucking shit.  
This was some kind of actual voodoo.  
Time to lawyer-up and use vague language.

"And now, state your promise." Atem said hoarsely, moving his bloodstained arm over Kaiba's outstretched forearm, letting his blood drip gently onto his pale skin. "Use one breath to speak."

Kaiba grit his teeth, bracing himself for pain as Atem dragged his nail lightly down the side of his wrist, but to his surprise, there was nothing other than a slight tickle.

He stared down at the odd, greenish drops on his arm, mingling with his own dark red blood, which had trailed quickly down his entire arm, dripping off his elbow and staining his pants. What the fuck?! So much blood from just a tiny scratch?  
No way this was real.

Kaiba's stomach churned as he spoke quickly. "I swear I won't tell anyone about you and your fish colony, but I don't control the actions of people who already know. I also don't want a war, but if one starts, it's not on me."

Atem jerked his hand back, glaring furiously. "That is not what you said earlier!"

"It means the same thing!" Kaiba retaliated nervously, feeling an odd coldness settling into his limbs, suddenly making it harder to breathe.

Underneath the water, Mahad sagged heavily against the rock with defeat.

He had heard the deceitful thoughts going through Seto Kaiba's mind while Atem said his part of the pact, and had almost called out to Atem in his thoughts, but held back, because he couldn't see when blood was being drawn, and any interruption of the volatile process might accidentally curse either party.

"Earlier, you said, 'I don't want a war and I won't start one!'" Atem raged, flicking his tail angrily in the shallow waves as the sound of the world came rushing back to his ears. The pact had worked, but Seto Kaiba was a devil-tongued, giving only vague promises.

"That's true, I don't," Kaiba said hastily, reaching out to touch Atem's hands, but to his dismay, the merman jerked away with an angry hiss, baring his fangs.

"Your statement absolved you from any responsibility of a war if you were to start one!" Atem growled, his stomach twisting with terror at the thought of what he had just done. He had made a dangerous pact with a dangerous human.  
Mahad and Shadi was right all along.  
This had been a foolish endeavor.  
He had failed, but at least he had managed to retain the secrecy of his people.

"Yeah, but I won't be starting a war if one does happen!" Kaiba enunciated, thinking the merman was overreacting. "I said—"

"You didn't say the words, ' _I won't start a war with your kind_ ,'" Atem snapped, eyeing the water frantically. "I'm leaving."

"I fucking won't!" Kaiba snarled, his temper also flaring quickly. "But if you people start a war on your own, it won't be my fault. That's what I meant."

"We were talking in terms of us alone," Atem said coldly, giving the businessman an appraising look. "And you knew that. Think on what you've done while I'm gone for the next three moons."

"Three?!" Kaiba raged, watching the merman roll into a large oncoming wave and the edge of his tail flashed threateningly red under the white foam edge of the beach.

"Yes, three!" Atem called, popping his head up to shout back at the human, feeling betrayed and furious. "I'll come up when I can, between my duties like I promised. Good bye, human."

And with that, the mer-king dove down underneath the water and disappeared with a defiant splash.

Kaiba ground his teeth, shivering furiously in the cold.

There was a long silence accompanied with the low crashing of the waves against shore.

Kaiba threw his head back and shouted with all his might, "FUCK!"

He heard his own voice echo thinly up and down the shore, and angry tears stung his eyes.

Whatever.  
Atem would be back soon. He was being forced to wait three months as punishment, and Kaiba swore their next meeting would end on a better note.

He slowly picked up his shoes and dragged his feet heavily over the sand, walking back to his property, hating everything.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Blood pact and love confessions.

I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave a review!

-Ugli

 _-this chapter was edited by setokaibaes-_


	12. Chapter 12

Atem powered through the water, shaking with rage.

Shadi was right. Seto Kaiba was a dangerous human who was skilled at making deals—

"My King!"

Atem jerked his head around frantically, seeing Mahad shooting towards him at breakneck speed, carrying his staff tight at his side, his long hair flying out straight behind him in the dark waters.

"So it was you, Mahad," Atem said as he slowed to a stop, his heart pounding anxiously in his chest as he waited to be reprimanded, but his bodyguard bowed swiftly before grabbing him tightly and giving his arms a firm squeeze. His expression twisted into one pained with worry.

"I heard…I heard it all!" Mahad gasped, his eyes wide with panic. "He deceived you at the last second! What were you thinking, my lord?! He did the exact thing with me on shore while I was bargaining for your freedom! He is a dangerous man!"

"He agreed to the important half," Atem said slowly, feeling a terrible weight settle into his chest and stay there. "He's too smart to start a war, not when we are providing him with dead scales."

"Indeed," Mahad said shakily, giving the king another reassuring pat on the arm. "Although, I do suggest consulting Isis on the first part of the pact. You agreed to return his feelings. Do you know what that means?"

Atem shook his head nervously and continued to swim deeper while Mahad stuck tightly at his side. "I don't. Do _you_ know what it means?"

"No, and that's precisely why we should consult Isis!" Mahad cried, stricken with fear and worry. "If you unknowingly broke the agreement…my king, I fear for you. You've already had your brush with death! Your royal blood is not exempt from the consequences of a blood pact!"

"It's fine," Atem growled, staring down into the solid darkness before them, wishing they could drop the subject. "He wants a companion to wrestle with. He'll tire of me soon."

Mahad said nothing, recalling how the pair had tussled on shore…but it had been coupled with…almost mating. Deciding not to speak of it further, he stayed securely at Atem's side as they swam deeper towards their hemisphere.

It should be fine.  
Atem was correct.  
Humans were fickle, due to their short life spans.  
The consequences of this blood pact, if any, would fade quickly.

* * *

Kaiba stepped out of the shower and hissed in pain, standing in place and watching blood stream steadily down his arm.

The scratch Atem had left was more of a deep gash, and the bleeding seemed to worsen when he lowered his arm, so Kaiba decided to keep his arm elevated above his head while reaching for his towel, cursing when blood trickled down towards his armpit.

Hating everything, Kaiba hastily dried himself off with one arm and bundled the towel over his bleeding wound.  
It was somehow getting worse now that he had washed hot water over it, and the blood was soaking through the thick white towel.

Cursing, Kaiba stepped out of the bathroom and tried not to panic. This wound looked like it needed stitches. He was also naked because any attempt to get dressed would result in bloodstained clothes.

Holding his breath, Kaiba shut his eyes and counted to ten, his fingertips growing damp as the blood fully drenched through the entire towel. His nostrils filled with a terrible metallic scent, and Kaiba eyed the vials of liquified scales sitting neatly in the open briefcase on his desk.

In a last-ditch effort to stop the bleeding, he dove towards them and uncapped one frantically to throw the liquid down his throat in one gulp.

Shuddering from the sudden icy cold stabbing through his chest, Kaiba coughed and gasped for air, his ears ringing terribly while bright spots dotted the corners of his vision…and then, everything returned to normal.

Breathless with anticipation, Kaiba waited a few minutes before he let the bloody towel fall away from his arm and he inspected the gash, extremely pleased to see that it had fully healed.

Instantaneous.  
Magical.

Triumph bubbled up inside his chest, and Kaiba dared to smile.

He walked to the mirror, still fully naked, and examined himself carefully.  
No cuts, bruises, or scratches. His skin was pale and flawless.

Leaning closer towards his reflection, Kaiba tugged at his cheeks, amazed to discover that his dark circles had even lightened. He felt clear-headed, energetic, and oddly relaxed.

 _No one must ever know._ Kaiba mused darkly to himself, thinking he had found a miracle cure-all. Although, if there ever were bad side-effects, he was risking his own life, and his own well-being.

Dashing into his closet, Kaiba threw on a set of sleepwear and shivered again, still feeling the residual threads of ice leaving his veins. The cold was probably another long-term side effect he'd feel later.

Mer-people were cold-blooded, weren't they?

Reminding himself to ask the next fish person who surfaced, Kaiba rolled himself up under the sheets and shut his eyes, wishing with all his might for a warm body beside him.

* * *

"Isis!" Mahad cried, pounding on the priestess's door with urgency. "Please come out—"

Isis swung the door open and glared at Mahad, eyeing Atem at his side. "Can I help you?"

"Something happened…on shore," Mahad began, throwing a furtive look over his shoulder as two palace maidens swam by, looking curiously over at them from the hallway. "Let us speak in private."

"Shore matters don't concern me," Isis responded haughtily. "Go see Advisors Solomon or Shadi. Good night, men."

And she began to close the door, but Atem interrupted her hastily. "I made pact with the human, Seto Kaiba. I may have agreed to something dangerous."

Sighing, Isis opened her door further and blocked the entryway, giving Mahad an apprehensive look. "Only the King may enter. Go back to the men's wing, Mahad."

"Very well," Mahad replied icily, throwing Atem a meaningful look before swimming away quickly.

"What now, my king?" Isis furrowed her brow in concern and dragged Atem into her room by the arm, peeking out into the hallway for eavesdroppers before she closed it again.

"What does it mean to 'return feelings'?" Atem asked in a rush. His blood ran cold for a moment with dread. Maybe it was something really terrible and he had doomed the kingdom by making this pact with Seto Kaiba.

"I'm not sure!" Isis shook her head and her jewelry tinkled pleasantly in the silence between them. "It has many meanings, and I don't know how you conducted your pact, my king."

"Right…I see." Atem said hoarsely, his throat closing up as he tried to compose himself. Was there no one who could help him regarding this matter?!

"I think it's time for you to make a trip to Confinement," Isis said gently, resting her hand on the door. "Bring them gifts, and they will answer your questions better than I can."

"Can you come with me?" Atem asked desperately, his chest tightening with anxiety at the thought of swimming through the dark chasm alone. The last time he had been down there was with his late father, while he was still a fresh hatchling, and that had been an obligatory royal visit.

"You'll be fine," Isis said with a dismissive wave, opening the door with a certain finality and ushering him out of her room. "You make journeys to shore alone, and those are considerably more dangerous."

The door was shut in his face, and Atem shook his head nervously, swimming away through the palace hallways with a churning stomach.

Fine. Perhaps it was time to seek help from the mer-people who have been to shore more than anyone else.

Rushing into his room, Atem leaned the heavy door open and swam straight for the small stash of hand-strung adornments he kept from his many decades of royal processions, and he picked a set of clear opal bracelets.

Atem thought perhaps the mer-people in Confinement could appreciate the calming glow of an opal, even in their darkness.

Swimming out of his room, he ignored Mana's worried cries behind him as he headed straight for the palace gates, nodding at the first guard he passed while quickly saying, "I'm visiting Confinement. I won't be long."

The guard nodded silently, and Atem set off at a frantic pace, his heart pounding furiously as thoughts of Seto Kaiba filled his mind once more. He was now regretting storming off during their last encounter.

Why did that pale human have such a memorable face?  
Why did his eyes hold such captivating intensity?

The air grew thinner the deeper he swam, and Atem swallowed his nerves, willing himself to continue into the darkness.

There was nothing here now, other than a wide expanse of ocean floor beneath him, and all was eerily quiet. He had passed the residential grottos several meters ago while he swam lost in his own thoughts.

The pressure also grew heavier around his shoulders, and Atem barreled on, keeping the opal bracelets safely stacked on his own arm. The way they clinked against his golden armbands provided some comfort, but the king couldn't help but feel truly alone as he pushed through the still waters.

After a few more sprints through the emptiness, a dark jagged step opened beneath him, and he paused, hovering over the fissure while his skin crawled with uncertainty.  
This ought to be fine.  
This endeavor was for more knowledge of Seto Kaiba and his odd behavior.

Gritting his teeth, Atem dove straight down into the crevice, blinking rapidly as sand and debris came rushing up, suddenly blinding him.

Coughing and cursing, Atem continued swimming down slowly, hearing voices echoing dimly from afar, and his anxiety eased slightly.  
There were people down here after all.

The soft glow of bioluminescent fish trapped in handmade orbs were shoved into the cracks along the fissure walls, lighting the way with surprising ease, and Atem began to relax.

This was going to be fine. This was all going to be fine.

"Halt!"

A mermaid's voice rang out sharply, and Atem skidded to a stop, pressing his hand along the jagged wall for support, eyeing the shadowy figure hovering in the distance before him.

"State your name and business!" she cried, and Atem saw the blur of a pointed staff at her side.

Ah...the prison guard?

"King Atem…bearing gifts, and seeking advice," Atem said quietly, hearing his own voice travel oddly in the confined space.

The mermaid approached him slowly, her flowing blonde hair almost enveloping the entire space around them, and Atem held his ground nervously, doing his best not to back down.  
Nothing to fear.  
Mermaids and mermen in Confinement were people too.

She narrowed her eyes fiercely at him before bowing curtly, lowering her weapon at her side respectfully. "Your majesty. Thank you for gracing us with an unannounced visit."

Atem nodded silently. His voice caught in his throat as he stared at her enormous breasts barely contained in her seaweed corset.

"Come, I'll lead the way," she said sweetly, her demeanor changing instantly. She swam ahead while calling over her shoulder, "you may address me as Mai!"

Atem followed her after a moment's hesitation and tucked her name away safely in his mind.

They floated slowly through the stony gorge, and Atem spied many pinpricks of light coming from tiny caves people were living in.

Giant curtains of dark woven kelp hung in several cave openings for privacy, and Atem looked away hastily.  
These people lived without doors…how terrifying.  
There was seemingly no sense of privacy here.

"Listen up, you good for nothings! The king is here! Pay your respects!" Mai shouted, banging her staff roughly against the stone wall, and Atem did his best not flinch as several large chunks of rock came loose and tumbled off the side, falling into the darkness below.

Several heads poked out from the caves and disappeared back inside. The silence was deafening, and Atem broke out into a nervous sweat.

"I don't need anyone to do anything," he said hastily, gesturing for her to lower her weapon again. "I'd like to speak to someone who knows human terms regarding 'feelings' and 'love'."

"HA!" a shrill laugh echoed from behind them, and Atem whirled around, startled, seeing another beautiful mermaid lounging inside her cave with two companions at her side, preening themselves with an air of boredom.

"Well, you've got her!" the mermaid jeered, pointing an accusing finger at Mai. "She's the queen of luring and entrapping human men. Ask her!"

"Shut up," Mai shot back nastily, and her demeanor changed again when she addressed Atem. "Follow me. We'll talk privately."

"Yeah! Talk privately about how known you are on every shore!" the other mermaids in the caves began laughing and pelting rocks at them out of their cave openings, and Atem ducked frantically as a stone narrowly missed his ear.

Mai's hand wrapped around his arm and Atem let himself be dragged through the chaos and into the safety of a cave, where another short-haired mermaid rushed to shut the woven curtains behind them.

"This is my cave-mate, Anzu," Mai said carelessly, tossing her weapon down on the floor with a clang and throwing herself down on a ratty sponge couch. "Hey, toss me a tie for my hair."

A familiar piece of cloth soared past Atem's nose, and Mai snatched it up quickly, securing her hair up successfully while Atem stared intently.

It was the thin article of clothing Seto Kaiba wore around his neck, except this one was red and had thin white stripes.

So it was called…a tie?

"H-Hi…" Anzu said shyly, ducking her head down into a polite bow, and she swam away quickly, hovering in the far back, eyeing him with deep apprehension.

"You don't greet a king like that," Mai snorted, kicking back and throwing her tail up on the edge of the couch with an elegant flick. "You do a proper bow."

"Oh shut up Mai, as if _you_ did that," Anzi retaliated cattily, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and panic.

"I did," Mai shot back, and Atem continued to hover awkwardly by the door, his tail sore from the long swim, and he wondered if he could just…sit on the floor, because no one had offered any place to sit.

"So what's your question, O' great one?" Mai drawled, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. "Pretty. Are those for me?" She pointed at Atem's arms, and Atem nodded slowly, lifting the bracelets off his wrist and holding them out to her.

To his increasing surprise, the mermaid Anzu zoomed forward and snatched them out of his hand before he could react, and Mai grabbed onto Anzu's arm as she passed, wrestling her for a bracelet.

Atem gaped, watching the women tussle playfully before Mai bounced back down onto the sponge couch with a satisfied sigh, admiring the opals and seashells on her wrist. "Wow, I haven't seen opals this clear since…a century ago! You really are a royal. People probably throw this at the ground by your fins."

"Shut up, Mai," Anzu muttered from the far back and Atem felt his cheeks grow warm.

He then decided to sit silently on the floor by the door and ask all of his questions in a rush, because he was eager to leave.

"Tell me what it means to return feelings. And about human love, but not human attachment. What it means when a human said he loves you, but not like a brother or a friend."

There was a thick, stifling silence in the cave, and Anzu appeared out of the darkness again, her eyes wide with curiosity. "A man said this to you? Or did a man say this to…another mermaid in the palace?"

"He said it to me," Atem said firmly. He had thought about lying, but he knew his story would never leave this cave, so his secrets were safe here. He was beginning to appreciate Isis's advice more and more.

"Wow, a gay human," Mai mused, looking excited. "What's he like? What color is his hair? Eyes? Skin?"

"Mai…" Anzu muttered from the back again, but she was soundly ignored.

"My favorite human was blonde, like me," Mai declared proudly, squaring her shoulders back and moving to unclasp her corset, before she paused and stopped. "Oops. Forgot. You're a man. I won't undress now."

Speechless, Atem just nodded, wondering where he was. These women behaved so differently, it was hard to take in.

"But you like the man?" Anzu prodded, emerging from the far back again. "You're not interested…in female humans?"

"I don't know." Atem replied impatiently, now feeling as if he was being interrogated for a crime. "Please explain the difference between human attachment and love. And why are you being punished for it?"

"We _shouldn't_ be punished for it," Mai declared. "Love is love. We're all people anyway. Mer-people just have this gross pride about being the better species. Mating with a human makes you 'dirty' and infertile. Now _that's_ a myth."

"I don't think it's a myth—" Atem said carefully, but he was talked over as Mai began to rant.

"Humans love more deeply than any mer-person I've ever met," she declared. "They'll go to any lengths for you. Any. If you wanted a chunk of the moon, they would find a way to bring it to you."

"Impossible," Atem said, shaking his head, wondering if Seto Kaiba would do that for him. "Why? Why would they do that?"

"Because you asked. And because he...or she…loves you," Anzu added unhelpfully. "Human love is like an obsession. Once they've decided you're it…they'll devote their entire life to you. They have a concept called marriage—"

"Another time, Anzu, he's here for the 'feelings'," Mai interrupted, waving a manicured claw over her nose delicately. "I assume you're talking about a Japanese human? He asked you to 'return his feelings'?"

"Yes…yes!" Atem sat up straighter, his mind slowly clearing as understanding began to dawn on him. These two women were smart and knew what they were talking about.

Why didn't they just teach it this way in the schools?  
Sure, it was vulgar…but it was less confusing than using the term 'human attachment'.

"You're fucked." Mai cackled, throwing her ponytail of hair over her shoulders and laughing. "That means he's already latched onto you and wants to hear you say, ' _I also love you_!'"

"He did…think that in his mind…quite often," Atem said faintly, hearing Anzu gasp and cover her mouth again. "I can reverse it, can't I?"

"You can try," Mai nodded ruefully, admiring her bracelet again. "But chances are, if he's seen you more than once, touched you, even if it's just on your hand, they're captivated. That's why it's a crime."

Atem shook his head silently, confused.

"We've ruined their lives," Anzu whispered, sinking to the floor and looking extremely forlorn. "Their short, short lives, they've chose to devote it to us, waiting at the shore for us to appear again. It's cruel. There hasn't been one human who hasn't died a painful death waiting for their mer-lover on shore."

Atem's heart stopped mid-beat and ice shot through his core.  
Oh…no.  
It _was_ too late to reverse anything he had ever said and done with Seto Kaiba.

"Yeah, once he starts waiting for you on shore, that's it," Mai added sadly. "I mean, I visited him all throughout his life. He even had kids with another human woman. _That_ was painful to see."

Atem clasped his hands together tightly, feeling himself shake.  
Seto Kaiba had already sworn to wait for him on shore, even demanding constant visits. The pact had definitely made things worse.  
It sounded like his own experience might be going down the same path as these women.

"You will escape persecution though, because you're a royal," Anzu said coldly, gazing into Atem's face with a solemn expression. "It doesn't matter if it's a human man or woman, the kingdom won't throw you down here with us when you've got so much knowledge and responsibilities."

"I know less than you!" Atem whispered hoarsely, hearing his own voice waver uncharacteristically with mild panic. "What do I do? He said he loves me! He wanted weekly visits, which I've managed to bargain down to three moon cycles. We even made a blood pact!"

There was another long, stifling silence. Atem did his best to take steady, even breaths.

He had committed a crime! A crime against a human!

"Oh, shit." Mai whispered, giving Anzu a dark look, which her friend mirrored with a frightened grimace. "A blood pact? You touched human blood?"

"Yes." Atem replied miserably, feeling tears building behind his eyelids, and he willed himself to stay composed. He would not litter his tears on the mermaiden's floor. His opal bracelets had been poorly received and was probably considered offensive.

"Have you met often? Kissed?" Anzu pressed, swimming closer to Atem and sitting closer to him on the floor, now seemingly more at ease. "And how did you meet? Don't make that expression. It's not a crime. Don't let people tell you your love is a crime."

Atem nodded mutely, his shoulders heavy with guilt and his chest tight with memories of Kaiba's lips on his own. Of course the mermaids down here, serving time for _their_ crimes, would tell him that his actions weren't criminal.

"Will he really wait on shore for me until the end of his life?" Atem whispered, unable to answer Anzu's questions while his mind was fixated on Kaiba's silhouette sitting on the tall rock on shore. He had doomed the human for the rest of his life!

"Can you convince him not to?" Anzu asked gently, reaching out to pat Atem on his hand warmly. "I managed to do that, and my sentence has been shortened by one century. Mai here…well, her humans kept coming back, to show her their children, to bring her gifts, so technically it was their fault, but the court deemed Mai guilty on all counts anyway. She influenced them to do it."

"I had a different human on each shore," Mai boasted, completely unfazed. "American humans are the rowdiest, but they sure know how to show you a good time. Japanese humans are quiet, but are really skillful lovemak—"

"No one wants to hear about that right now," Anzu interrupted angrily, inching closer to Atem again, ducking her head down shyly in another polite bow. "Does anyone know?"

"Yes, you two, and my bodyguard," Atem answered automatically, feeling extremely removed from the entire situation. "My bodyguard heard us make the pact, but I don't think he fully understood the full gravity of what I did."

"I don't even think _you_ understand the full gravity of what you did," Mai scoffed, pointing at him playfully. "You look shell-shocked. Give it few moons to sink in. And go visit him some more while you still can before anyone else finds out."

"Mai…that's _bad advice,_ he'll get caught," Anzu argued, grabbing Atem's hand and giving it a tight squeeze. "Humans move through life very fast. Before you know it, he'll have a wife, and he'll forget about this whole thing. You'll be absolved from all guilt."

A crushing pang seared through Atem's chest and he found himself shaking his head angrily. "I don't want to watch him marry and have children."

"Uh…too bad?" Mai laughed coldly before sobering up quickly. "Humans move on whether or not you want them to. You can bind them to you, with eternal love and obsession like we said earlier, but, that's a c-r-i-m-e."

Atem lowered his head, finding it getting more and more difficult to breathe.  
This was all terrible news. There had to be another way.

"Hey, king, wanna know how to make Human Love less of a crime?" Mai asked seriously, sitting up straight and propping her elbows up on her fin. "Just do what you both want. Go see him. You want to see him every day? I've got it figured out. You can calculate your weight and journey length to avoid shore-sickness."

"You can do that?" Atem asked, once again speaking without thinking, and he mentally berated himself for sounding interested.

"Yes," Anzu nodded encouragingly. "They tell you you'll get sick if you go up every day, but that's a lie. Our ancestors rose to shore daily all the time. They just changed the rules because of the wars. Just make sure you keep track of time, and don't dry out in the sun, or it'll be obvious you've been to shore."

"Drink and eat before each journey, and make sure no one follows you," Mai said stating the obvious, but looking very serious. "And bring me something, won't you? I want a new tie for my hair. That's the least you could do. Get me a nice color…like green or blue."

"I'll do my best," Atem said solemnly, wondering how he could smuggle a human item blatantly out of the palace without being questioned.

"You can hide it in litter you collect," Anzu said, reading his mind eerily. "Small items and gifts can be wrapped in seaweed and smuggled out. Bring me a lipstick, okay? That can be hidden in your palm."

"A lip…a lip what?" Atem asked weakly, letting the women help him up and escort him out through the seaweed curtained doors.

"The man will know what it is when you ask him," Anzu said calmly. "And no more red. We already have a ton of reds."

"I don't understand." Atem said, feeling unusually weak, and the women gave him sympathizing looks, gently pulling him through the dark fissure, flanking him strongly, keeping him steady.

"The air here is thin, you've stayed too long." Mai said firmly, and Atem tried to draw in a breath to answer but found his chest pounding with pain with every beat of his heart.

"I'm so sorry, we lost track of time!" Anzu cried, her voice echoing mutedly as they rose higher towards the surface of the fissure. "Please be well. Thank you for the bracelets. I love them! It's been so long since I've worn mer-made jewelry."

Atem bid the women goodbye with a formal wave, and he swam up towards the dim light above, hearing Mai call out to him, "Make sure he gives you that diamond ring! That's when you've really won his heart!"

"The cheap diamond doesn't mean anything!" Anzu's voice echoed up after Mai's husky laugh. "Men just like giving jewelry! I've gotten rings from all of my men!"

"Because you're prettier…" Mai's voice was now faint, and Atem arrived at the top of the rocky chasm, taking deep, shuddering breaths of clean air.

Shooting upwards through the water, Atem finally reached warm, comfortable air, and he flipped over onto his stomach to gaze down at the jagged opening in the ocean floor beneath him.

It no longer looked dark and threatening.

Rolling over onto his back, Atem closed his eyes and tried to relax.

The women were right.  
There was no reason to panic.  
Just because the rest of mer-society saw Human Love as a crime, didn't necessarily mean it _was_ a crime.

Feeling extremely lighthearted, Atem set off back towards the palace, his mind filled with warm, happy thoughts of breaking the news of every-day shore visits to Seto Kaiba.

The look on his handsome face was going to be priceless.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Atem finally learns the difference between Human Attachment and Human Love.  
Mai and Anzu make an appearance.  
Kaiba ingests more liquified scales to heal his wounds. That man better watch out before he starts showing fish-like symptoms or something.

-edited by setokaibaes-

pwease leave a comment if you liked :D your opinions are the fuel to my writing fire

xo  
Ugli


	13. Chapter 13

Kaiba switched the shower on sleepily and stuck his foot into the steaming water.  
It was warm.  
Satisified with the temperature, Kaiba leaned into the shower with the rest of his body and sighed contentedly.

Suddenly, the water became boiling hot, scalding his skin terribly, and Kaiba let out a pained yell, stumbling back out of the shower as his body was consumed with a horrible burning fire.

Panting and shivering, Kaiba threw himself out of the bathroom and stood dripping wet in the middle of his room, gazing down at himself, the shock numbing him completely.

His skin had become red and angry. Stinging welts and large patches of flesh were already missing from the lower half of his leg—the one he had first stuck in the shower, and that was when the pain really hit.

Someone had lit his body on fire and he was being burnt alive.

Kaiba shut his eyes and let out a strangled yell, dimly aware that this was an unpredictable side-effect of ingesting the scales.

Dragging himself over to his desk, Kaiba clumsily grabbed the last two vials he had, and barely managed to swallow them fully while his vision began fading in and out.

Fuck. Shit.

A welcome, icy cold wave washed over him, instantly numbing the pain, and his mind hummed oddly with relief.

Sagging against the back of his desk, Kaiba gasped for breath and watched as his skin began healing rapidly.  
Fuck.  
That had been the most painful thirty seconds in his entire life.  
He had accidentally boiled himself.  
The patches of flesh missing from his leg were akin to third degree burns.

It seemed…hot water was dangerous to the mer-people.

"Master Kaiba?" Isono's concerned voice floated through the closed door, and Kaiba shut his eyes, still trying to compose himself. His body was still cold, and now it was completely numb.

To heal the burns, he had ingested more scales. Wasn't he exacerbating the problem? Was he going to become dependent on these scales?

Isono eased the door open quietly, shocked to see Kaiba sitting on the floor, wet and naked, gripping two empty glass vials in his pale fist.

"Master Kaiba!" The manservant rushed over to help, but Kaiba waved him away angrily, his chest heaving with effort as he tried to stand.

Isono disobeyed boldly and helped the young master to his feet, wrapping an arm around Kaiba's slender torso and pulling him up steadily.

"F-Fuck." Kaiba shivered, his voice trembling uncharacteristically as his teeth chattered from the cold. "I can't…take hot showers anymore."

"What happened? Do I need to call the doctor?" Isono asked nervously, feeling Kaiba twist out of his grasp and march back into the bathroom without acknowledging him.

The door slammed, and Isono found himself standing alone in the master bedroom, thoroughly confused.

Kaiba switched the shower on again tentatively and made sure to keep the water on the coldest setting, his mind churning with dread.

If anyone spilled coffee on him…hell, if he spilled coffee on himself, would it result in a second degree burn from the hot liquid?

 _And I don't have any more vials of liquid scales if I burn myself again today_ , Kaiba growled to himself, poking his finger into the cold water. To his surprise, he discovered it was warm.

Frowning at the water setting, Kaiba checked it again. Yes, the dial was set to cold.

Inching the handle a few centimeters to adjust the temperature again, Kaiba waited for the water to grow even colder, and he reached a shaking hand out to touch it, pleased to discover that the colder the water, the warmer he felt.

 _I_ am _turning into a fish_ , Kaiba thought irritably to himself, stepping into the shower and sighing nervously.

This water was lukewarm at best.  
If he wanted a "hot" shower, the water probably needed to be below freezing.

Time to upgrade the shower.

Sighing to himself, Kaiba tried to relax. It was fine. He would adapt. It was like he was growing fins anytime soon.

* * *

Isis approached Atem on his throne and bowed prettily. "My King. How was your visit to Confinement?"

Atem sat up straighter, instantly alert.

"It was…enlightening," he answered seriously. "I think I finally understand."

"That's good," Isis said warmly, swimming up to Atem's side and resting a hand on his reassuringly. "How will you proceed? We're holding Open Court now…what will you say?"

Atem swallowed tensely, seeing the members of his court slowly gather at the edges of the throne room, emerging from the hallways and gazing at him apprehensively.  
How was he going to break the news of his pact with Seto Kaiba to his court without sounding too radical?

"My lord," Mahad said deeply bowing and lowering his staff respectfully. "We are all present."

Atem rose from the throne and made polite eye-contact with each mer-person floating around him, his heart pounding with anxiety.

"I do have some news," Atem said, hearing his own voice echo mutely in the crowded room. "It is regarding the human, Seto Kaiba."

"Ah yes, that cretin," Shadi said, raising his staff in anger. "You're still speaking with him?"

"Your anger is understandable," Atem said, feeling the room hum with discontent at the mention of Kaiba's name. "But he is—"

"He was the human who freed our king," Mahad said, rising quickly to Atem's defense, and he glared at Shadi while Solomon interjected, "He is the human in contact with the people who captured Atem in the first place!"

"But he negotiated for his release!" Isis cried, also rising to Atem's defense, and very quickly, people began arguing amongst themselves.

Atem swallowed thinly, realizing that his court wasn't aware that Kaiba was the one who had first captured him.

If his people were reacting with such hostility towards someone who freed him, Atem knew he could never tell anyone that Kaiba was the one who had netted him in the first place.

"Order…please!" Atem called, holding his hand for quiet, and he quickly lowered it after seeing his fingers shake slightly. "He is a kind human at heart, and I've made a pact with him regarding the secrecy of our civilization."

"You…what?!" Solomon roared, and Mana threw him a panicked look.

The aging merman dove towards Atem and hovered inches from his nose, vibrating with anger and fear. "You-You touched…human blood? What did you say? Repeat the pact, word for every word here for us now!"

A heavy silence settled over the throne room as Atem gathered himself and gave Solomon the most confident smile he could muster. "Very well."

He gazed around the room one more time, catching panicked looks from Mahad, Rishid, and Isis before he spoke carefully, "I promised to return his feelings, as well as visit him as often as I can. In return, he promised not to start a war, or mention our species to anyone on land who doesn't already know."

"What does that mean?! What feelings?" Mana cried, pressing her hands to her face, and other people mumbled their agreement.

"I thought it was something dangerous," Atem said anxiously, nodding at Solomon who remained impassive. "A visit to the mer-people in Confinement told me it was nothing to worry about. As long as I keep him happy on shore, there won't be a dispute."

"Keep him happy on shore," Shadi repeated, sounding very cold and skeptical. "Why is that _your_ duty? Humans live happily on shore regardless of what you do."

"Our agreement was for me to surface because he enjoys my company," Atem said, now beginning to regret ever bringing up the pact, and his court grumbled angrily.

"You are surfacing _for_ him?" Isis rounded on him, her eyes narrowed with concern. "May I remind you that your duty is here, below, with us, not above, to him!"

"He'll tire of me soon," Atem assured her, but no one seemed convinced.

"You've tied yourself into an agreement for a shore-relationship!" Solomon declared, pointing his staff at Atem. "You are now the only sitting royal in our history with a blood pact hanging over your head…with a _human_ no less! Not another mer-person. A human!"

And arguing broke out once more. Even some of the palace maidens stuck their heads out of the hallways to peer into the throne room, wondering what the commotion was all about.

"Please…everyone!" Atem floated closer to the center of the throne room, his skin burning from all the worried and hostile glares from his counsel. "If he wanted to harm me, I'd be dead. Instead, what is he asking for? Dead scales from our salons, and my company."

"He's taking care of our garbage too," Mahad said quickly, pointing at a tiny dot of a ship hovering above their hemisphere. "Atem made another agreement with him on land, while in captivity. What human willingly cleans up their own garbage from our waters?"

"A human who wants something in return!" Rishid cried, shaking his pony-tailed head. "He wants to see us! He wants to tell the world about us."

"I _just_ said I swore him to secrecy," Atem fumed, now beginning to lose his patience with his staff. "I have also consulted with everyone who could possibly help me, and they all agree that making the human happy is in our best interest."

There was an eerie and unpleasant silence before Solomon broke it with more cynicism, "So you _consulted_ with a bunch of shore-loving mer-people who committed crimes against humans."

"I did! And they were helpful." Atem raged, thoroughly fed up with fighting for his beliefs in his own court. "Visiting the human on shore will be added to my other shore-related duties. You're all dismissed."

Swimming off in an angry huff, Atem curled his fists at his side and made his way down the main hallway, towards the palace gates.

"My king…wait!" Mahad swam after Atem, carrying a spare staff. "Please, take this. Don't journey to shore unarmed ever again."

Atem nodded stiffly in thanks and accepted the weapon from Mahad before turning to leave again. He could feel heated eyes on his back as he passed the palace gates and begin to ascend.

Everyone was being unreasonable.  
Seto Kaiba was a good human.  
Kaiba had released him, and Atem was sure that even if Kaiba got nothing in return for it, his release would've still happened because he had showed signs of sickness.

Atem brushed past the guards at the edge of the hemisphere and didn't bother to wave. He was angry and wanted people to know.

Shooting upwards through the water at breakneck speed, Atem briefly enjoyed the way the water brushed quickly through his bangs.

He slowed down after a bit, remembering the mermaid's advice about daily shore travel. He needed to pace himself, stay nourished, and pay attention to the passing of time.

Swimming on steadily, Atem eyed the sunny streams of light coming down from surface with determination.

Seto Kaiba had better be there on that damn rock!

* * *

Kaiba stepped into his lab and was immediately greeted by two of his scientists, who looked excited to see him.

"Mr. Kaiba! Good news," the one on his left said, smiling warmly and holding up an electronic pad for him to read. "We've devised another formula…"

Kaiba nodded, only half-listening. He needed more of the liquified scales and was planning on keeping a personal supply.

"Which of you liquidized the first batch?" Kaiba asked, completely ignoring her earlier statement, and he received a frown.

"I did that, with , but he's not here today. Did you want the process in writing?"

"Yes, send me a copy of that, and everything you have here," Kaiba said gruffly, scrolling through the report and handing the pad back to her. "Digital copies to me, personally, for everything."

"Very well," she said plainly, tossing her hair over her shoulder and walking off to her station.

Kaiba walked through each of the stations, inspecting every work surface, pleased to see progress on everyone's desk.

He approached the large freezer at the back of the room and yanked the door open, relieved to see more untouched vials of freshly liquified scales, and he pointed at them, calling over his shoulder, "Are these samples used?"

"No, they're left over from this week's batch," came a reply, and Kaiba nodded stiffly, satisfied.  
Nice. These were now all his.

He swept them up and tucked them safely into his briefcase. Snapping the lid shut, he straightened up and glanced around, expecting to receive odd looks, but he was ignored.

"Since we always have extra, I'll be downsizing the batches being sent here," Kaiba announced, waiting for a reaction, but all he got were silent nods. "I take it by this reaction, we have more than enough?"

"Yes, we have even more than that," a lab worker commented casually from their station, holding another clear vial of scales up to the light. "With the current projected amount, we have enough to fill several warehouses with this serum."

"Try making other cosmetics with it too," Kaiba suggested haphazardly, walking excitedly to the elevator doors. "We can move past serums because the liquid is versatile."

"It is…but the liquid separates!" someone called, and Kaiba waved carelessly over his shoulder as he stepped into the elevator. "Figure it out!"

He leaned against the elevator walls and sighed with mild relief.  
It was good that the mer-people were over-delivering their scales.

If this kept up, he'd have gallons in his personal stash of liquified scales to ingest for any emergency.

* * *

Atem popped his head up over the waves and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh salty air.

He swept his gaze over the shore, feeling a pang of dismay as he realized it was empty.

Swimming closer, he held his breath, wondering where Seto Kaiba was. Didn't he swear to be on the shore no matter what? Wasn't he breaking the pact now?

Irritated, Atem approached the rock and dove under the surface, seeing a sack of mesh scales still hanging off its hook in the small opening.

So, someone still hadn't come to collect this week's garbage? Perhaps Seto Kaiba had already lost interest?!

 _Well, that was quick_ , Atem fumed, popping his head up again and raking his gaze up and down the empty shore. There was a human residence on a small hill, and no roads in sight. This really was a private beach.

Atem twisted around behind him to see if there were any boats or yachts tethered to any docks nearby, but there was nothing.

Tossing his staff onto the shore in frustration, Atem dove down to inspect the shallow ground, noticing that even this beach was quite clean. Wasn't it possible for humans to stake claims on land that also touched the ocean? Human greed really knew no bounds.

Atem surfaced again and bobbed gently along with every incoming wave, feeling an odd sense of loneliness. He had expected Kaiba's face to be the first thing he saw when surfacing. It hadn't occured to him that the Kaiba wouldn't show up.

 _I've worried for nothing,_ Atem growled, wondering if he ought to leave.

Deciding to make the journey worth it, he let a large wave wash him onto shore, and he flipped over onto his back, gazing up at the purple sky, enjoying the sunset. This was fine too.

A nice private, quiet land for vacation.

Footsteps pattered from afar, and Atem sat up nervously, his heart pounding with fear at the thought of being seen. Had he been seen? Who was that?!

A tiny figure with long black hair was running from the house, waving an arm excitedly at him.

 _Ah, the child,_ Atem thought mildly, relaxing with relief.

Mokuba dashed down the sandy wooden ramp, breathless with anticipation. He tapped the side-button on his phone three times, signaling to Seto that the merman was here.

"Mermaid!" Mokuba cried happily, his toes squishing warmly in the sand as he ran towards the figure lying down by the rock. "I missed you! How's your home?"

Atem blinked rapidly and nodded, unsure of how to answer this question as the child approached him with speed. "I—My home is…doing well."

"Whoa," Mokuba skidded to a halt, eyeing the pointed spear stuck into the sand a few feet away from Atem's arm. "I-Is that yours?"

Atem followed Mokuba's chubby finger towards the staff stuck in the sand behind his head, just out of reach, and he nodded, "I threw it a bit too far. Could you bring it to me?"

"Yep!" Mokuba cried, excited at the thought of getting to touch a trident.

"It's not a trident," Atem said, mildly amused. He watched the child yank the staff out of the sand with ease and hold it up to the sky, looking awestruck.

"This is so cool!" Mokuba stabbed the spear playfully at the rock, shouting, "Hyaa!"

"Please…give it back, it's not a toy," Atem said with all the seriousness he could muster. "Where is your brother?"

"Seto is at work," Mokuba said, sitting down in the sand after handing Atem the weapon. "He said to tell me when you're here. I told him, so…he should be coming now."

"I see," Atem nodded quietly. "And do you live there?" He pointed at the house on the cliff.

"Nope, that's our vacation home," Mokuba answered, waving a hand over his shoulder at the large property. "We have those everywhere."

The two sat in silence for a while before Atem remembered the requests from the mermaids.

"Hey, Mokuba," Atem gave the child a small smile. "Do you perhaps have access to …ties?"

"What?" Mokuba ruffled his hair in confusion, watching the merman make a gesture around his neck, and he understood instantly. "Oh! Neckties?! Yeah! Wait…why?"

"Could I have a few?" Atem asked hopefully, flipping over onto his stomach and fanning his tail excitedly over a shallow oncoming wave. "Blue, and green? Or any other ones with pretty patterns?"

"Wait here! I'll get them from Seto's stash." Mokuba laughed excitedly and leapt to his feet, showering Atem's arm in sand. "He's got tons! And he never wears the ones with patterns. I'll be right back!"

Atem watched the child run off down the beach, and he leaned into a warm wave washing over his waist. This child was so cute.

Kaiba was just pulling into the property's sprawling driveway when he saw Mokuba racing up the ramp back into the house.

Shutting off the engine, Kaiba got out of the car and dashed down to the beach, seeing a familiar figure lounging in the sand beside the drop-off rock.

 _Atem!_

Atem pricked his ears, hearing Kaiba's voice call his name with such force in his thoughts, it made his hair stand on end.

He twisted around to see a tall figure slipping and sliding down the sandy edge of the cliff, and he let out a laugh.

So, Kaiba was still interested. He looked excited, so much that he neglected to use the pre-made trail and leapt straight down from one rocky edge to another.

"Be careful!" Atem cried, his stomach churning at the memory of human blood. Kaiba really was reckless. Was it because he was in love, 'at the point of no return' like the mermaids had said?

Kaiba kicked off his shoes and sprinted towards the water's edge, tackling Atem gleefully into an oncoming wave, relishing in the warmth of the water while Atem threw his arms around his shoulders in a hearty response.

Now this was one benefit of the scales. The water was warm.

"Wh-What?!" Atem gasped, craning his neck away from Kaiba's attacking flurry of kisses down his face as he heard this. "Explain yourself!"

"I thought you weren't going to show your face for ' _the next three moons'_ ," Kaiba said mockingly, leaning forward to kiss the merman, but a hand pressed against his forehead, pushing him away strongly.

"Tell me what that meant!" Atem cried, his arm weakening as Kaiba's gaze seared intently through him, causing his heart to flutter wonderfully. "The benefit of scales…?"

"Oh, you're still listening to my thoughts?" Kaiba growled irritably. "Your scales make it easier for me to stay in cold water."

"How?!" Atem cried out again but found that he could no longer fight back with strength. A hot breath danced across his cheek, and their lips met in a fiery, passionate kiss.

Kaiba sighed happily, enjoying the way Atem's tail felt between his legs. It was solid…warm, and thick, when it used to be cold and slimy.

Atem frowned into the kiss, hearing these thoughts and unable to speak, because a silky tongue had entered his mouth and was tantalizingly licking the roof of his mouth, sending shivers down his spine.  
Where did humans learn how to do this?  
Why did no other mer-person kiss this way?

Kaiba pulled away breathlessly, raking his gaze hungrily down Atem's muscular chest, appreciating the change of jewelry. The chest plate was solid gold, no longer laden with multi-colored gems, and Atem wasn't wearing his usual crown.

"Seto!"

Kaiba jerked his head up to see Mokuba running back at them, and he rolled off of Atem, hearing the merman hiss and grab at him playfully with a clawed hand.

"Come back here…" Atem smiled, pausing when he saw the child approaching with an armful of colorful items. "Ah, my ties!"

" _My_ ties!" Kaiba cried, shaking head with disbelief as he watched Mokuba drop the bundle of ties messily at his feet.

"They're mine now," Atem said cattily, gathering them up in the sand and wondering how he could bring them back home without losing one. There were so many!

"What? What do you need them for?" Kaiba asked, amused and slightly flattered that Atem was collecting items that belonged to him. "You like them?"

"I do," Atem said genially, grabbing his weapon and beginning to tie them onto it with ease. "And the mermaids love them too. They collect these."

"Oh…weird." Mokuba grinned, and knelt in the sand beside Atem's staff, picking up a few ties and also beginning to tie them onto it. "This is gonna look like streamers flying off your trident!"

"A trident has three prongs, Mokuba. This is a spear." Atem corrected him gently while Kaiba gaped at the weapon stuck in the sand, realizing he had been too preoccupied with kissing Atem to have noticed a sharp pole of steel right beside them.

"Oh, and I require a stick of lip." Atem said happily, aiming this question at a wide-eyed older Kaiba. "And the request was…no more reds. Does that mean anything to you?"

"A stick of…what?" Kaiba blinked, not understanding at all.

"The mermaids said you would know!" Atem sighed, exasperated. "They said they wanted a stick of lip, and no more reds because they already have too many."

There was an awkward silence.

Suddenly, Mokuba slapped a hand to his forehead and belted out a laugh, rolling around in the sand cackling. "I get it! You're hilarious!"

Kaiba eyed his younger brother strangely. "What? Stop laughing and spit it out, kid."

Atem threw Kaiba a concerned look, wondering why he spoke so rudely to his blood relation.

"He wants… _lipstick_!" Mokuba gasped for air and he doubled over onto his side again, shrieking with laughter.

Kaiba pressed his palms into his eyes and his shoulders also began to shake with laughter.

"What? What is it?" Atem frowned, wondering why both humans were now laughing…seemingly _at_ him. "You know what it is? Can you get it?"

"Yes, I'll get it for you," Kaiba said warmly, reaching out to give Atem's toned arm a gentle squeeze while his body trembled with mirth. "No red. We understand."

Mokuba was still gasping for air between laughs in the sand beside Kaiba's elbow, and Kaiba stood quickly, picking his brother up around the waist and swinging him onto his shoulder.

"Ow! Ow lemme go!" Mokuba cried, hanging over Kaiba's shoulder and still half-laughing while attempting to climb his way down. "I wanna hang out with you guys!"

"No. Back in the house," Kaiba said sternly. "We're going do something, and you can't be here to see it."

"You mean kiss?" Mokuba suggested evilly, doubling over with laughter again. "I've seen you guys do that a million times already."

Atem watched this exchange with interest, and he turned his gaze back to his tie-adorned staff. It did look quite pretty…in an odd way. The mermaids in Confinement would be so happy with such a huge selection.

Footsteps approached him in the sand again, and Atem smiled up at Kaiba's tall form standing above him.

"I thought about you," Atem said warmly, his heart fluttering at the way the dimming sunlight highlighted Kaiba's sharp cheekbones.

Kaiba smiled happily in return and sat himself down in the water beside the merman, enjoying the warm waves lapping at his ankles. It seemed the merman had a change of heart after their explosive departure a few days ago.

"Would you do anything for me?" Atem asked in a rush, placing his hand over Kaiba's and holding on tightly, his heart tight with emotion.

"Yes." Kaiba replied softly. After a moment of silence, and he raised his gaze to meet Atem's dark, angular eyes. Beautiful. Striking. There would never be another creature on earth as beautiful as this merman beside him.

"I will do anything for you. I _can_ do _anything_ ," Kaiba declared strongly.

"Anything?" Atem pressed, pointing at the glow of the white half-moon above their heads. "If I asked for a chunk of the moon, you'd bring it to me?"

"Yeah, how big?" Kaiba asked heatedly, already calculating how legal it would be to take a chunk out of the moon with a strategically placed missile. "Do you want a rock? A tiny rock? Or do you want to see a noticeable chunk missing every time you look up?"

Atem stared, unable to believe his ears.

"You can't…! Don't shoot anything up there and destroy the moon, please," the merman said hurriedly, his cheeks burning. "I like the moon whole."

Kaiba threw his head back and let out a bark of laughter. "Well, every time you look up and see that chunk missing, you'd know it was me. You'd think of me."

"You're…insane," Atem managed, feeling as if a hand had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart painfully. "I'm not asking for that. Don't do that."

"Fine, then I won't." Kaiba shrugged happily and nuzzled his nose against the merman's neck, inhaling deeply. The wonderful tang of something familiar mixed in with the dull scent of salt aroused him instantly.

Atem let his eyelids flutter shut as Kaiba's breath on his beck warmed him pleasantly, and he dipped his head down to place a gentle kiss on Kaiba's lips, enjoying the sweet lingering moment they shared before he pulled away first.

"I need to know how long I've been on shore," Atem said nervously, eyeing the darkening sky above them. "They said…I could surface every day if I calculated my weight and the length of my journey. I just needed to keep track of time, and not dry out."

"I know how much you weigh," Kaiba said instantly, placing his hand on where he thought Atem's thigh would be, and he ran his hand down the warm scaly surface. "As for the distance, I can give you a device to wear on your wrist that will measure—"

"I can't bring any human items back that will attract attention." Atem replied nervously, placing his hand atop Kaiba's once more and squeezing tightly in return. "The ties on my staff look like a gift. But I can't keep anything that will incriminate me."

Kaiba hissed in annoyance and withdrew his hand. How irritating and old-fashioned of them. Then he just needed to make the device look like a gift.

"I can just count the minutes, leave markers at every depth, don't worry, I've got it," Atem said reassuringly, leaning his head down on Kaiba's shoulder and watching the sky fully darken. "I'll try to come up, every day, until I can't anymore."

Kaiba nodded mutely, touched that Atem had reconsidered the daily visiting.

"Then I will be here exactly at sunset," Kaiba said, wrapping his arms around Atem's slender, tanned upper body and bringing him into a tight embrace. "Every day, without fail, for the rest of my fucking life."

Atem felt his stomach drop terribly and he patted Kaiba on the arm awkwardly. "T-There's no need to do that. You'll grow tired of me eventually, and…have children."

Kaiba jerked back, and looked Atem full in the face, thoroughly offended by that statement. "You think I want that? Who do think I am?"

 _I'm Seto fucking Kaiba, dammit_ , Kaiba growled angrily to himself, and to his extreme amusement, Atem echoed his thoughts aloud.

"You are…Seto Fucking Kaiba Dammit," Atem said mildly with a wry smile and he leaned forward playfully to plant a soft kiss on Kaiba's cheek. "Don't you dare run off and have a child…other than Mokuba. You can keep him."

"He's my brother," Kaiba said automatically. "I can't stand kids. I can barely stand Mokuba."

"That's a lie," Atem laughed, rolling over onto his stomach and gazing up at the CEO from the sand. "You love him very much."

Disgruntled, Kaiba quickly straddled Atem in one smooth motion and sat triumphantly on top of him, his eyes gleaming with lust.

"Less talking, more fucking."

"I've got to go," Atem whispered balefully, curling his clawed fingers over the fabric of Kaiba's pants, hating that they had wasted all their time talking instead of touching. "The sky is dark. They said I had to spend short amounts of time on shore if I wanted to come up every day. I'll be back tomorrow."

"You fucking swear?" Kaiba growled, tightening his thighs around Atem's warm tail beneath him in the sand. "Tomorrow. Come earlier so we can fuck when it's still light. I want to see your face when you cum."

Atem smiled weakly, and his heart did an odd flutter at the human's sudden vulgarity. "Yes, all of those things. Tomorrow, bring a stick of lip and we'll—"

"Lipstick," Kaiba cracked a smile and pulled Atem into another tight embrace, enjoying the wetness of his skin soaking in through his shirt before he pulled away reluctantly and got to his feet.

Atem freed his staff from the sand and used it to push himself off the shore and into deeper water, raising the tie-covered weapon in a formal salute and seeing Kaiba reciprocate with a solid middle finger and a boyish grin.

Laughing, Atem dove down beneath the waves, feeling extremely lighthearted and satisfied.

Kaiba watched the red glint of Atem's tail disappear underneath the foamy waves, and he let out a forlorn sigh. What had changed? Whatever it was, he wasn't complaining. Getting to see Atem every day was more than he could hope for, so he wasn't going to push his luck.

Picking up his shoes from the sand, Kaiba trudged back to the property, shivering from the wind, but his heart was warm.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Kaiba's scale experiment = bad times in the shower.

Atem's royal court hates humans but Atem is king so he can do whatever he wants kinda technically?

Yay for daily visits and bonding time with Mokuba on shore.

No smut this chap cuz our boys needed to have an actual talk lol but they got very close tho!

-edited by setokaibaes-

Pleasus leave a comment! ilu for reading!

xoxoxoxo  
Ugli


	14. Chapter 14

Atem stabbed the tie-covered spear into the sandy floor of his bedroom and threw himself down onto his sponge bed, gazing up at the high ceiling while his heart soared wonderfully.

This was pure love, he was certain of it. Seto Kaiba was handsome, loyal, and very entertaining. The fact that he had legs was not a deterrent.

A knock sounded at his door and Mana called out to him, "May I come in?"

Atem sat up quickly and pushed off the bed to answer the door.

"My king…" Mana said hesitantly, looking unusually shy. "How was your travel to shore?"

"Excellent!" Atem beamed, leading her into his room by the arm and showing her the spear decorated with colorful patterned ties. "I brought this weapon to shore at Mahad's insistence, and the child decorated it for me."

"Seto Kaiba has a child?" Mana whispered shrilly. Every new piece of information Atem told her about these humans disturbed her more and more.

"Yes, a blood relation," Atem assured her gently and pulled a blue and white striped tie off the spear for himself. "Aren't they nice? They're soft and thin like kelp, but longer and sturdier. Want to use one for your hair?"

"I-Is that what they're for? Hair? So _these_ are Hair Ties?" Mana's interest piqued as she ran her fingers through a pastel pink tie with thin white stripes. "I like this one."

"Then take it, it's yours." Atem said warmly, freeing the tie from the staff and pressing it into her hands with a smile. "The rest are for the mermaids in Confinement."

"About that…" Mana hiccupped nervously. "There were no men in Confinement?"

Atem shook his head slowly, "I didn't see any men. Why?"

"Don't you think it's strange then?" Mana asked, twirling the tie through her fingers in distress. "You're the only man in a situation that has doomed many mermaids?"

"Well…perhaps it's different _because_ I'm a man," Atem said, not believing his own words at all.

"Is it, though?" Mana cried, looking more distraught. "Mahad told me the mermaids in Confinement _mated_ with the men on land. What if Seto Kaiba…wants to mate with you?"

"He can try," Atem scoffed, recalling how Kaiba had tried to enter his hole from the back and failed miserably. "I'm armed, and…so what if he does want to mate with me?"

"W-Well…that's…disturbing," Mana whispered, looking fearfully at the ground. "Please stay safe, Atem. I'm very worried about you. We all are."

Atem grew cold all over and nodded stiffly.  
If he couldn't trust Mana with the truth, then who could he trust?  
Why did everyone around him think that Seto Kaiba was a disgusting human being?

"Thank you for your concern, Mana, now let me rest," Atem said flatly, escorting Mana to the door, and he caught another tearful look from her before she waved and swam off sadly.

Letting out a tight sigh, Atem closed the door heavily and leaned against it, feeling terribly trapped in his own kingdom.  
There was no one who approved.  
No one trusted Kaiba. How could he change that?

Perhaps it was time to make another visit to Confinement after a long sleep.

* * *

Kaiba stood opposite from his three chemists, watching them spread out several samples of lipsticks for him on the metal lab table.

"The skin-liquid takes the molds quite nicely when heated," the first chemist said, tapping the pad in her hand. "I don't know what you're calling it, Mr. Kaiba. Perhaps patent a name for it so we can stop calling it 'the skin-liquid'."

"And it's cold to the touch, and cold when applied," the second chemist said, pushing her lab goggles up over her bangs and squinting down at a dark blue tube of lipstick. "We can market this as a summer product. Cooling effect."

"No one wears a dark color for summer," the third chemist interjected, pointing at a bright yellow shade. "Maybe something like this. Would you wear this?"

"That? No," the second chemist scoffed, rolling her eyes. "That was to test how well the liquid would hold pigment. It holds. Obviously."

"Well, that's good to know." Kaiba smiled excitedly at the thought of Atem's face lighting when he gifted the mer-king with an enormous set of lipsticks. "Make it in every color of the rainbow. Go easy on the red shades, and…they need to be extremely waterproof."

"Define extremely waterproof," the first chemist said, looking very excited.

"Make it so waterproof that it fuses to your mouth like a second layer of skin," Kaiba grinned, seeing the women wince at his choice of words.

"I don't want that," the second chemist spoke up again, smiling gently at the CEO. "It needs to come off...eventually."

"Yeah, and you'll need a whole other product to make it come off. That's how you make money," Kaiba snorted, and the women laughed pleasantly.

"Maybe you're thinking of a peel-off lipstick?" the third chemist asked tentatively. "That was a trend, wasn't it? This will be a competitive lipstick if you make it waterproof, Mr. Kaiba."

"No, don't make it peel or do anything weird," Kaiba said, remembering that the scales already flaked like skin when they were dry. "Stick with a conventional formula. Waterproof. And make plenty of colors for darker skin."

He began to walk away, but was stopped by the first chemist, "W-Wait, Mr. Kaiba! We're not making this for Japanese people?"

"You _are_ , but we have so much, so let's just make a huge range," Kaiba said impatiently, unwilling to tell the truth. "Be inclusive, dammit." And he walked quickly to the exit, wishing the entire process was less complicated.

 _These damn lipsticks better make Atem's mermaids happy_ , Kaiba growled to himself, and he caught a glimpse of the chemists with their heads bowed together over the table before the doors closed with a soft whoosh.

"He _must_ be gay," the second chemist declared loudly, and was shushed by her co-worker.

"You won't know," the first chemist said blithely, slipping her gloves back on with a snap. "He'll probably wear them in private, in his own home while prancing in front of a mirror."

"We're being recorded 24/7 in this lab, audio and visual, you're both aware, right?" the third chemist breathed, attempting to keep her composure from slipping.

"Serums and lipsticks…serums and lipsticks, that's all we're talking about!" the second chemist sang cheerily, and her lab mates smiled, all three of them trying to stem their laugher.

* * *

Atem heaved the sack of litter over his shoulder, thinking it was very light, lighter than usual, so he said a small prayer, thanking Seto Kaiba for his help.

The metal ships had decreased the trash load quite a bit, and everyone was glad that they were required to take less trips to shore.

Swimming up through the hemisphere, one of the border guards stopped him in his path, handing him his staff with a solemn expression. "My king, please take this."

Atem snatched the weapon out of the guard's hands and nodded angrily before continuing on his way up.  
This had to be Mahad's doing.  
Everyone was so paranoid for no reason.

Trying to feel less irritated about it, Atem filled his mind with warm, happy thoughts of Seto Kaiba, and kept his gaze pointed upwards. The sun was still up, so perhaps he could enjoy some light before it set.

* * *

Kaiba gently set all his camera equipment down on the table by the window and gazed out towards the open ocean, seeing no one on the beach.

He picked up a tiny camera and flipped his laptop on beside him, testing the visual quickly.

This would solve most of his problems. If the shore was monitored, he would instantly know if anything were to happen. He would also be alerted of any walking mermen and would be able to see when Atem appeared.

The camera feeds would go directly to his phone and personal computer, so no one else would accidentally find out.

Kaiba stabbed the camera's cord into his computer and sighed, looking up to stare at the ocean again. He saw a tiny splash in the distance and his heart raced excitedly.

He stopped everything he was doing and dashed out of the house, almost slipping on the sand covering the wooden ramp leading down to the beach.

The spiky-haired figure in the water waved energetically, and Kaiba's heart soared.

This was a great way to spend his time after work.

Reaching the water's edge, Kaiba ran into the water and froze, his feet growing numb from the sudden cold.

He stood very still, shivering violently as another wave crashed against his thighs.  
It seemed the effect from the scales was temporary.

 _But I took a cold shower today, and the water was still felt warm,_ Kaiba raged, jumping up and down in the water and running back to the sand, his toes stinging terribly.

"Human!" Atem grinned, tossing the sack of garbage onto shore and rolling onto the beach with ease, riding atop a low foamy wave. "What's the matter? Cold?"

"F-Freezing." Kaiba grit his teeth to keep them from chattering as he contemplated running back into the house to drink another vial of the scales. "I'll be right back."

"Wait…take this with you!" Atem cried, pointing his weapon at the sack of garbage. "These came from your people. Discard it properly."

"I'm not responsible for every single person who litters," Kaiba growled, but he obliged and snatched the seaweed-woven sack up, hoisting it over his shoulder and hating how the icy water trailed down his entire front, soaking him completely.

"Thank you!" Atem smiled warmly and waved at Kaiba's back, and he eased onto his side in the warm sand, stretching lazily. This was quite nice! Having Kaiba throw out the garbage for him was a pleasant addition.

Kaiba circled his property, shivering violently and hating Atem briefly for making him the garbage mule. Clearly, his ships couldn't collect all the garbage from the deeper parts of the ocean where Atem actually lived, because they weren't equipped to go that deep.

Just how far away was this underwater kingdom?

Deciding not to think about it further, Kaiba swung the sack of plastic into the garbage bin and strode hastily back into the house, his mind on one thing: the extra vials of liquified scales in his briefcase.

 _Maybe I'll drink one with my morning coffee every day_ , thought Kaiba as he reached his large work-desk sitting against the window, and numb fingers closed over a fresh vial.

He uncapped it and tossed it back with ease, grimacing as the now-familiar cold consumed his body, coupled with a strong wave of nausea.

Too cold, too sudden.

Kaiba retched silently as he bent over his desk, his vision turning green for a moment before the color returned. This felt horrible, somehow worse than the first time he drank it. Why?

Was it because there was a two-day gap? Or was it because he had drank two vials at once after almost being boiled alive, and then skipped a day?

Gasping for breath, Kaiba straightened up slowly, composing himself.  
If he was going to be drinking these vials regularly, he would have to keep a record, for scientific and personal purposes.

Atem narrowed his eyes, seeing Kaiba bend over suddenly in the window, and disappear for a moment, before shakily standing again.  
That was a strange movement.  
Was the human…sick?

He watched Kaiba hurry down the wooden slant and approach him with a weak smile, looking paler than usual. Yes, the human was sick.

"You need to rest," Atem declared as Kaiba sat down stubbornly in the sand beside him, and a medium wave came rushing up towards them, drenching Kaiba's clothed legs and swallowing him up to the waist.

"I'm fine," Kaiba answered mildly, breathing a tight sigh of relief as he relaxed quickly. The wave of water was pleasantly hot, burning hot. It had been a while since he had water this hot.

Atem watched this reaction curiously and obtrusively prodded Kaiba's mind, but was met with silence and a strange sense of relief.

"What is it? Did something happen?" Atem pressed, wanting to know why Kaiba was acting so extreme. "You don't have to pretend for me. Speak."

And he reached out to grab Kaiba's hand, shocked to find it cold to the touch.

Kaiba mustered another smile and leaned closer to Atem, gazing out over the water, contemplating his answer. The truth; he would tell the truth this time.

"Yes, the truth would be nice," Atem growled. "Have you been lying about something?"

"No," Kaiba answered amicably, rolling up his pant legs and enjoying another hot wave of water brushing over his shins. "We make love in the water all the time, so I might have found a way to make the cold water easier to bear."

"How…?" Atem asked slowly, his concern rising as he recalled Mai's comments about how humans would do anything, even hurt themselves, for love. "You're not hurting yourself, are you?"

"Ha!" Kaiba let out a bark of derisive laughter. Where to even begin? Being boiled alive in the shower was a good place to start.

"Please explain…" Atem said shakily, reaching for his weapon and wondering if he ought to threaten the answers out of Kaiba, because the CEO was being particularly withholding today.

Boiled alive? Was Kaiba being tortured? And why?

"Can hot water hurt you?" Kaiba asked suddenly, his blue eyes bright in the setting orange sun. "How do you Fish People live in warmer climates then?"

"Us _fish people_ …are all different," Atem raged, bristling at Kaiba's word choice. "For example, there is a colony several leagues away, and they live in shallower waters, significantly warmer than the climate in my—"

Atem forced himself to stop talking. He was revealing too much, and there was a wide-eyed look of maddening glee sitting on Kaiba's face.

"Go on, I've got no one to tell," Kaiba said, unable to keep the smile off his face. "You swore me into silence. Are they your friends?"

"No, that colony is _not_ friendly," Atem scoffed, recalling the almost-war his father had managed to put a stop to when he was still a young hatchling. "They're violent, lawless, and they enjoy interfering with humans. Everyone avoids them."

"Right, because your colony is _so political_ , right?" Kaiba taunted, and he received a dark look in response that answered his question.

"I had to...fight for my own right to come up here and see you," Atem said quietly, his cheeks burning with frustration. "And every time I leave, someone shoves a weapon in my face, insisting that I travel armed. I believe it sends the wrong message if I were to run into someone from another colony."

"Cool, I don't care," Kaiba said brusquely, understanding that his joke was made in bad taste, and the mood was quickly souring because of it. "Sounds stupid. You can leave the spear here if you don't want to travel back with it. Next topic."

Atem nodded stiffly and turned his gaze out over the water again, feeling slightly better about everything. Even though Kaiba's words were rough, he had felt the rush of sympathy and disgust, and that had been enough, because it mirrored his own feelings.

They sat together in comfortable silence while the waves lapped happily at their bodies, and Kaiba was beginning to feel sleepy. The hot ocean water around his waist along with the cool air blowing through his hair, was nice.

Atem's warmth beside him was comforting too.

He leaned his head down on the merman's bare shoulder and closed his eyes, exhaustion settling thickly over him.

Suddenly, a warm breath grazed past his nose and their lips connected.

Atem was kissing him, softly, slowly, and sweetly, taking his time and raking his claws through the back of his hair. Relaxing wonderfully into the kiss, Kaiba tried to pry his eyes open to see the blond bangs inches from his face, but his eyelids were heavy.  
He didn't want to open his eyes because it would mean…their kiss would end, and the world would continue spinning again.

Kaiba wrapped his arms around Atem's body to pull him closer, sinking deeper into each of Atem's gentle breaths, melting gradually with every sensual flick of his tongue across his lower lip.

His mind hummed with pleasure and shut off completely. Nothing existed, other than the hot wave around his waist, Atem's warm hand on his cheek, and his soft lips on his own.

Pulling away gently, Atem gazed happily at Kaiba's expression, pleased to see that his eyes were still comically closed.

"Did you like that?" Atem asked knowingly, pressing his nose into the crook of Kaiba's pale neck and baring his fangs playfully, scraping them over Kaiba's collar bone through his dress shirt. "That's how we do it."

"That's…a boring way to do it," Kaiba replied breathlessly, finally opening his eyes and seeing Atem trailing his hands down the front of his shirt, counting each of his buttons with an odd, determination.

 _Yes, very interesting,_ Atem mused, tapping his nail against a hard, mother-of-pearl button. _Humans wear shells in this way._

Kaiba buried his nose into Atem's spiky hair and breathed deeply, smiling to himself, feeling as if he had won an unwinnable prize. His energy came rushing back and he climbed nimbly on top of Atem, straddling his tail with familiar ease and grinning handsomely down at the king.

"Now…we do it my way."

"We're always doing it your way," Atem argued teasingly, giving Kaiba's arms a tight squeeze with both of his hands. "My turn."

"…No," Kaiba said stubbornly, digging his knees into the sand at either side of Atem's tail. "I like it…the way we usually do it."

"You walk away from it bleeding. I refuse," Atem shot back, rocking forward powerfully and managing to push Kaiba off him. "Try it once, my way."

Kaiba opened his mouth to protest but his voice died in his throat when Atem began undressing him with surprising ease.

"I've seen you do this several times before," Atem said quietly, tossing the shirt aside triumphantly with a grin. "I've learned by watching."

"Congrats," Kaiba growled, his boner straining happily through the front of his pants as Atem gave his front a firm rub, flashing him another pretty grin before he worked the button and zipper, sliding his hand into his pants and freeing his erection.

"Take these off," Atem coaxed, grabbing at the belt, and Kaiba hastily obliged, inching his pants off his hips. The mer-king slid slowly down in the sand on his stomach and pressed his cheek against Kaiba's slender thigh, smiling mischievously.

Kaiba's breath hitched in his throat as he let Atem peel his pants off and toss them aside seemingly without a care in the world, and stare intently at his boner.

"…And it is magically big again," Atem said excitedly, oblivious to Kaiba's embarrassment. He dove his head down without hesitation and gave the stiffness a solid lick, tasting an odd tang at the tip of his tongue. Was this what the human tasted like?

Intrigued, Atem nuzzled his nose deeper, enjoying the padded softness waiting underneath his lips, and he licked that too. Baring his fangs happily, he grazed them lightly along Kaiba's inner thigh.

He heard a hiss, and Kaiba's leg jerked to the side, followed by a stream of rapid-fire thoughts.

 _What the fuck, what the fuck, he looks like he's about to bite my balls off!_

"Calm...down," Atem bit back a laugh and gazed down at Kaiba's exposed erection with an air of amusement. "I know these are your eggs. I'll be gentle."

Kaiba's head spun violently with a mixture of mirth and nausea.  
Eggs. His _only two_ eggs. Yeah. They were those.

"This is what makes you fertile, isn't it?" Atem glared, growing more disgruntled at Kaiba's thoughts. "Human women carry them on their chests, and they look attractive, whereas men—"

" _Please_ shut up," Kaiba said through numb lips, unable to show an emotion that accurately displayed how he felt. His boner was going to die if Atem said one more disconcerting thing about his balls being eggs.

 _Very well_ , Atem thought irritably, and dipped his head back down, continuing to do whatever he pleased. He dragged his lips up along Kaiba's inner thigh, eliciting a hostile shiver, but he continued, intent on showing Kaiba how lovemaking was done.

Suddenly, Kaiba's leg looped over his neck, almost causing his chin to smash into the sand beneath his face.

"Suck my dick," Kaiba demanded, his boner throbbing with impatience, and he caught a heated glare from Atem before the merman obliged.

Atem inched forward and enveloped Kaiba's length inside his mouth, hearing a satisfied sigh, which encouraged him to continue, and he trailed his lips up over Kaiba's neat patch of pubic hair, slowly making his way up Kaiba's muscled abdomen, pausing to give his nipple a playful bite.

Kaiba shut his eyes and opened them again, his chest heaving with shallow breaths, his body trembling hot with anticipation, hating how Atem was clearly taking his time. A hot tongue swirled lovingly around his nipple, sending a slow heated wave of pleasure running up and down his entire body.  
Atem's hands flattened against his skin and Kaiba shivered reluctantly as the tips of Atem's claws tickled the lower his hands traveled.

He was feeling as if he was about to burst, and Atem leaned forward to gently kiss him again, another long, lingering kiss before he pulled away to nibble gently at his ears and down his neck, turning the raw bubble of arousal at the base of his stomach into a warm pool of never-ending heat, with no orgasm in sight.  
It was just endless, low waves of excitement, with teasing hands and teeth, followed by a strong wave of arousal from Atem's body grinding against his, almost sending him over the edge before coming back down again to the soft, lingering kisses.

"I hate this." Kaiba said flatly as he pulled away slowly, and his heart nearly stopped in his chest when Atem's hand came for his throat and pushed him down flat on his back in the sand.

A spiky-head emerged in his vision, and Kaiba's head spun as he gazed up into Atem's deep, violet eyes.

"You are mine, so you will do as I say," Atem hissed, knowing he was losing his patience, but a part of him no longer cared. "You've had your way, and now I'll have mine. Be still or I'll bite."

"Bite me then," Kaiba challenged, and he thunked his head down on the sand with resignation. Atem wanted to be gentle and treat him like a girl, then fine.  
What the fuck ever.

Atem continued keenly, grazing his lips smoothly down Kaiba's pale thigh again, enjoying the sweet scent of his skin, and his warm mood was shattered with more of Kaiba's cynical thoughts.

 _He wants to treat me like a girl, then maybe I should just grow some boobs._

Atem's anger flared quickly. He bared his fangs spitefully, and before he could change his mind, he buried them deep into Kaiba's inner thigh, hearing Kaiba let out a pained yell beneath him and jerk his leg violently in his grasp, but Atem hung on tightly.

The blood rushed into his mouth, coating his tongue thickly, and Atem blinked rapidly, the cloying sweetness taking him completely by surprise.

He took a tentative swallow and felt positively electrified. His entire body tingled, and his vision became impossibly bright.  
Mildy frightened, Atem pulled away and wiped his chin, his heart pounding too loudly in his own ears while his own arousal suddenly curled painfully outwards, slick and wet with excitement.

Gasping in surprise, Atem glanced down at himself nervously.

This effect he was experiencing…was probably why feeding on human blood was forbidden. His was hot and cold at the same time, and he was so…incredibly aroused.

"F-Fuck…" Kaiba said weakly, propping himself up on his elbows, his vision blurring mightily while his leg slowly grew numb. "You actually fucking bit me…Atem?"

Kaiba blinked, seeing the merman's expression darken in an instant, and morph into a dark, lustful smile.

"You taste…good!" Atem whispered, throwing himself forward and burying his face into Kaiba's hard abdomen, taking deep, shuddering gasps, trying to keep himself composed, but to no avail. Kaiba's legs twitching at his elbows filled him with an indescribable hunger, and he grabbed them roughly, curling himself against Kaiba's arousal and sliding the head of his tentacle lewdly against Kaiba's hole, feeling the muscle clench and unclench deliciously at his tip.

"Wait…hang on…" Kaiba held out a shaking hand, completely thrown off by the sudden change in demeanor, but had no time to prepare, because Atem gave him one last devilish grin before thrusting himself inside into his hole with steady determination, his angular eyes half-lidded, wearing an eerie, almost cat-like expression.

Kaiba threw his head back and opened his mouth in a silent gasp, finding himself filled again and again without pause. Atem seemed to extend fiercely inside of him, sometimes to the hilt, and other times, it was just the wet, curling tip, teasingly licking his entrance while his legs trembled and Kaiba yearned for more, almost drowning in the violent flood of pleasure and pain, dimly aware that his leg was still bleeding.

Atem's face was blurring above him, and the merman leaned down to bite him again after giving him a particularly passionate thrust that sent his back chafing in the sand underneath them, and Kaiba let out a pleasurable, choked yell, locking his ankles around Atem's back and arching up higher…higher, his mind blissful and blank while his body felt as if it was floating on air.

Atem shut his eyes and enjoyed another strong rush of thick sweetness trickling down his throat as Kaiba pulled him into a crushing embrace and began bucking his hips upwards onto his writhing member, sending him into another blood-drunk frenzy as wave after wave of searing, wonderful heat consumed his mind and body.

Numb with ecstasy, Kaiba relaxed fully underneath Atem and found himself pushed onto his side.

Unwilling to move, Kaiba let Atem do as he pleased, and was lost in another blanket of passion and warmth.  
A clawed hand came snaking around his front to grab his erection and Kaiba curled his knees to his chest, gasping for breath as Atem began pounding into him relentlessly from behind. The merman's light breaths tickled his ear, and through his haze of joy, Kaiba heard him whisper, "How deep…can I go?"

"I don't care!" Kaiba managed, slapping a hand down in the sand and digging his fingers into the soft wetness, feeling a headache building as Atem's heat curled deeper and higher into him, stretching him almost painfully before he withdrew and began thrusting viciously with passion again. Kaiba could barely keep his eyes open as his body convulsed and shuddered with a rough orgasm, followed by another…and another, each different from the last.  
Amazing. This was pure pleasure.

Atem pulled out of Kaiba's hole with great effort but found that he couldn't stay away for long. Something magnetic was pulling him back in, making it impossible for him to stop, and it was terrifying.

Kaiba beneath him, already looked like he had had enough. His knees were curled to his chest, his arms limp, his expression soft and blissful, but his body was still being rocked by his passionate thrusts.

"I can't—I can't stop!" Atem dug his palms down on either side of Kaiba's body and shuddered as a tight rush of an orgasm bubbled high near his chest and disappeared again.

"Don't…don't stop…" came the weak reply, and Atem grit his teeth, shaking his head frantically when he saw his own semen gathering at the rim of Kaiba's hole, but he was still unable to stop. It was like his body was behaving without him.

"Push me away…do it, please," Atem said hoarsely, his head spinning.  
He could barely think straight.  
He just wanted to keep shoving himself into Kaiba endlessly, and cum ten more times.

Kaiba barely nodded and pried his eyes open, feeling his hole begin to chafe and burn, but Atem's dick was still prodding playfully at his asshole, acting as if it had a mind of its own.

Gathering all of his strength, Kaiba gave Atem a shove and tried to twist away but found himself face-down in the sand. A strong hand was glued to the back of his head, forcing his chin into the sand while the heated tentacle lapped eagerly at his balls, roaming dangerously low between his thighs, spreading the sticky wetness playfully between his ass cheeks.

"Hey…what the fuck…" Kaiba hissed, trying to push himself up, but his elbows were weak. There was also a small puddle of blood beside his ear. Oh shit…  
What was happening?

Atem's heat was once again sliding up and down his already wet hole, sending another jolt of electricity up his spine, and Kaiba winced in pain when he was entered again without warning.

"Please stop…I can't…stop!" Atem cried, hanging desperately onto Kaiba's hips and pressing his forehead down onto Kaiba's lower back, his mind oddly cloudy. He had already cum a few times inside of Kaiba's hole, but it seemed his body didn't think that was enough.

Kaiba opened his mouth to let out another pained yell, tasting sand on his tongue as Atem thrust thickly into him again and gave his insides a swirl that seemed to bend him in half.

"F-Fuck…fuck!" Kaiba eyes began to water and he kicked his legs out in an attempt to get away, but the tops of his feet slid against Atem's smooth tail, unable to find grip, and that seemed to incite a fresh bout of passion from the tentacle.

Atem shut his eyes and shivered, praying for control. His stomach tightened with another heave, and his vision went white momentarily, his ears ringing with a sharp tinny noise.

Kaiba felt Atem freeze behind him, and he kicked out one last time, crawling away with a weak groan and pressing his cheek down in the warm sand as he briefly passed out.

Atem came to his senses and fell forward heavily onto his palms, heaving and shivering.

He glanced up at the motionless figure lying in the sand before him, and he reached out to give Kaiba's ankle a weak shake.

"I'm sorry…" Atem gasped, falling to his side and letting a shallow wave wash over him up to his elbow, and he heard Kaiba curse silently again in his mind.

 _I'm dead._  
He killed me.  
Death by sexual intercourse with a mythical creature.  
A billionaire's body is found naked and half-decomposing on his private beach. Preliminary autopsy showed he orgasmed so hard, his brain exploded—

"I take it you're fine," Atem growled, sitting up weakly and trying to shake off the panic. "I shouldn't have bit you. I'm sorry. I really couldn't stop."

Kaiba sat up dizzily, throwing Atem an unsteady smile before he laid back down in the sand with a satisfied sigh. "So, that's how you fish people do it."

"That is _not_ how mer-people mate," Atem retaliated with a defensive look, feeling terribly guilty. "It was supposed to be gentle from start to finish. Something in your blood made me lose myself. Are you hurt?"

"No…" Kaiba rolled his eyes, feeling a warm trickle of blood run down his knee and a spot above his shoulder stung oddly. "How many times did you bite me?"

"Twice…I think," Atem said hastily, reaching out to run his hand along Kaiba's calf, his heart freezing in his chest when he spotted two pinpricks of fang marks on Kaiba's hip, and one on his arm.  
They looked like shallow bites because they were no longer bleeding.

"Or…it might have been four times. I don't remember," Atem hugged himself shakily, unable to look at Kaiba's wounds anymore. "I didn't mean to at all."

"I'll heal," Kaiba answered dully, patting the sand beside him and not moving to sit up. "That was…scary, and amazing."

Atem used his elbows to push himself further up along the sand and he placed his head down onto Kaiba's bare chest, watching the steady rise and fall, his own heart beating equally as fast.

"It was just…scary," Atem said, shutting his eyes and curling himself up over Kaiba's long legs. "I'll never bite you again."

Kaiba laughed dryly, and stopped mid-laugh, realizing his chest hurt. He fell quiet and planted a kiss on Atem's wet forehead. The spiky blond bangs tickled his nose and he gave them an awkward pat.  
The rough sex was great.  
He enjoyed being wrung out and put through his paces.

Atem heard Kaiba's thoughts and began to calm down, but he still felt terrible. He counted the stars above his head and blinked slowly. It was completely dark.

"I need to go!" Atem cried, springing up and sounding panicked. "I left yesterday when the sun wasn't set all the way. It's dark now!"

"Oh, okay, go then," Kaiba said sleepily, sitting up slowly and reaching out to brush the backs of his knuckles lovingly against Atem's cheek. "See you tomorrow."

"Yes, tomorrow indeed," Atem said hastily, letting Kaiba kiss him on the back of his ear. He gave Kaiba a small apologetic smile and was met with a warm, sleepy one.

Kaiba felt the merman reach out to grab his hand, give it a squeeze, causing his heart to swell and his cheeks to burn.

Atem eyed on oncoming wave and pushed off the shore, riding it out into deeper waters, hearing Kaiba's thought's behind him.

 _That's a cool way to do it._

Sticking his hand out of the water to wave, Atem dove down quickly and disappeared beneath the surface.

Kaiba stared at the familiar ends of Atem's red tail splashing upwards before vanishing, and he smiled to himself.

He then glanced around the beach for his clothes, realizing they were scattered everywhere.

Slowly rising to his feet, Kaiba wobbled with every step he took, but his mind was wonderfully clear again.

Merman sex was probably also another miracle cure of sorts.  
He always felt like a new man afterwards.

As he walked off towards his property, he thought he heard another splash behind him, and he whirled around to check, thinking Atem had returned, but there was nothing and no one in the water behind him.

It was just his imagination.

But underneath the water, behind the drop-off rock, a palace guard sat very still.

His claws had sunk into the rock, leaving a five-fingered crack along the side as he slowly digested what he had just witnessed.

After having been ordered to 'follow and protect the young king', he had, but did not expect to see such blatant show of blasphemy.

Shaking with a mixture of fear and uncertainty, the palace guard pushed off the rock, wondering what he should say in his report…if he should say anything at all.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Uh oh a palace guard spotted atem doing the nasty-nasty with a human.

Things that make the world go 'round: Hair ties, lipstick production, all-healing serums, and rough fantasy sex :D

please leave your thoughts in the comments, I always read every one and try to respond!

love,

Ugli

(you can find me on tumblr :D)


	15. Chapter 15

Atem swam through the palace gates and was surprised to see Mahad waiting for him with a stern expression.

"Where is your staff?" Mahad asked, frowning and scanning Atem's body up and down, checking for any signs of injury.

"I gave it away," Atem said truthfully. "I—"

"You cannot travel unarmed, how many times must we insist!" Mahad reached forward to pull Atem into a tight embrace, almost crushing the air out of his lungs. "I even sent a palace guard after you, just in case."

Atem blinked, his heart stopping in his chest.  
A palace guard? He had no idea he had been followed!

"W-Who did you send?" Atem asked in a choked voice, and Mahad turned away, answering casually. "One of our Stealthsman. Only the best for you, my king."

Atem swallowed thinly, his terror rising by the second as he tried to keep his panicked thoughts in check.

"Th-Thank you…" Atem whispered, but Mahad didn't hear him because the merman had already swum off down the long hallway, in search of the guard, eager to hear a report of how Atem's shore-meeting with Seto Kaiba had gone.

Feeling terrible, Atem dashed into his room, trying to stay composed. It was fine. Perhaps the Stealthsman would take a bribe?

Sliding a curtain of kelp aside, Atem rummaged through his personal treasury. Bribing a warrior was also considered treason, but he had already committed the highest sin, by feasting on a human's blood while mating.

Only death in Confinement awaited him if anyone were to find out.

* * *

Kaiba rolled out of bed, feeling pleasantly sore all over.

He slowly stepped into the bathroom to and switch on the shower, making sure the water was at its coldest setting. Suppressing a yawn, Kaiba stuck his foot in to check the temperature.

Lukewarm. Great.

Sighing irritably, he stood under the water and slowly began to wake up. He glanced down at his body and noticed water was rolling off his skin extremely quick.

Nervous and intrigued, Kaiba grabbed the shampoo and squeezed the entire bottle over his arm, watching the liquid almost bounce and slide off his skin with eerie fluidity.

 _Oh…fuck, I'm a fish. I am a goddamn fish_ , Kaiba tried not to panic, and he set the bottle of shampoo down with a thunk, his knees growing weak.

As long as he didn't start growing scales, everything should be fine.

Quickly washing up, Kaiba shut the water off and stepped out. He grabbed a towel and inspected himself in the full-length mirror, noticing that the bite marks from Atem's rough lovemaking yesterday had faded completely, and he looked slightly…more muscular.

Wondering if he was seeing things, Kaiba dried his hair and strode to the other mirror in his room, and he patted his chest and stomach.  
He had lost weight.  
Yes, it was unmistakable. The muscles along his arms, chest, and stomach were slightly more defined.

Kaiba threw the towel off his body and turned to inspect himself from the side, flexing his thighs and seeing a ripple of muscle curving nicely down from his buttocks.

 _Sex with the merman is a workout,_ Kaiba mused, extremely pleased with himself.

He spotted the fresh cup of coffee Isono had left for him on his desk, and he walked over to take a sip. After a moment, he lifted his briefcase up from the floor, extracting one of the vials, and carefully poured it into his coffee.

Staring at the steaming liquid, Kaiba held it up to his nose to give it a tentative whiff.

It still smelled like coffee.

He took a sip, and then downed the rest in a few gulps, waiting for his body to grow cold, but nothing happened. He stood very still and held his breath.

Nothing.

Frowning, Kaiba hastily walked to his closet, threw on some clothes, and sat down at his desk, prying open his laptop. Time to start a personal log.

He began typing, making sure to include as many details as he could remember,  
making sure to note the nausea he experienced yesterday.

Kaiba shut the laptop and rose slowly to his feet, stretching.

He felt great, and hopefully, it was going to stay this way.

* * *

Atem snuck through the hallway and made sure the coast was clear before he zoomed through the water as fast as he could, managing to fit through one of the gaps in the stone pillars leading outside.

Tucking the tie-adorned spear at his side, Atem threw a nervous look over his shoulder, making sure no one saw him.

All was quiet. No one seemed to be following either.

Satisfied, Atem set off towards Confinement, trying his best not to feel like a criminal. He just didn't want to be seen exiting the palace gates.

He still felt extremely guilty, biting and feeding off Kaiba's blood during their last lovemaking session, and he was in desperate need for some unbiased advice.

Kaiba's limp body underneath him kept flashing through his mind as he swam on, and he ignored the soreness in his tail from the long journey. Even though Kaiba had said it was fine, he didn't behave like it was fine, and the thought unsettled him.

Finally reaching the dark fissure, Atem braced himself and dove down straight into it, making sure to keep his eyes closed this time, and predictably, he felt debris rushing through his hair.

Floating to a slow stop, Atem opened his eyes, and the warm glow of the bioluminescent fish was an oddly welcome sight.

Continuing to swim through the jagged steps, Atem counted his heartbeats with every swish of his tail, pushing through the water, waiting…waiting, until he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Halt! State your name and business!"

"It's me, Mai," Atem said shakily, daring himself to feel relieved. "I've brought the Hair T—"

"Ateeeeeem!" The blonde mermaid barreled towards him at breakneck speed and threw her arms around his neck in a happy embrace, and Atem felt his cheeks grow warm with gratitude.

"Ooo, you've got so much to tell us," she smiled happily and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him through the dark waters with ease.

Several curious heads poked out through seaweed woven curtains before quickly disappearing, and Atem could hear many whispers echoing around them.

 _"It is the young king."_

 _"Visiting again? How annoying."_

He was led into a familiar crevice, and another friendly face smiled at him, "My king!"

"Anzu." Atem bobbed his head politely and her arms reached out to him, quickly helping him into their cave as Mai drew the kelp curtains shut behind them with a muffled swish.

"Oh my goddess, you brought so many!" Anzu gushed, running her fingers through the ties, tugging longingly at a blue one with a white dotted pattern. "I love this!"

"You over-delivered, your majesty," Mai said, grinning and beginning to help Anzu untie the ties from Atem's weapon. "I thought you'd only bring one."

"These were given to me in a large bunch," Atem said shyly, remembering Mokuba's happy expression as he scattered them in the sand. "A child picked them out…although he did steal them from his older brother."

"Perfect," Mai said devilishly. "These ties only have meaning if you steal them. If they weren't stolen, they're useless."

"You're the worst, Mai." Anzu said playfully, waving another striped tie with enthusiasm. "I think I have one that matches this color!"

Atem opened his mouth to speak, feeling as if he was about to burst from keeping so many secrets, but he lost his voice when Mai reached forward to grab both his hands and inspected them with vicious determination.

"No ring," she declared, and Anzu rolled her eyes.

"The ring is pointless."

"So?" Mai pressed, throwing herself down on the couch and waving her tail lazily, holding the ties up with an air of happiness. "Did you guys kiss? Hold hands? Did he take you somewhere? Did he carry you into a bed? Human beds are so strange."

"And do you have the lipstick?" Anzu asked expectantly and looked crestfallen when she realized Atem was empty handed. "Ah…its okay. I didn't think he'd give you a lipstick anyway. You're a man after all…"

"We made love," Atem blurted, unable to stay silent about it anymore, and he received simultaneous gasps of interest and excitement.

"Was it amazing? Of course it was," Mai declared, tossing her hair over her shoulder and bringing to braid it. "But I gotta know…who entered—"

"And I bit him," Atem sank slowly to the floor and clasped his hands together, losing composure steadily the more he talked. "I…tasted his blood, but I didn't mean to! It started as a joke. He was teasing, and said, 'bite me', so I _did_ , and—"

"You didn't!" Anzu cried, covering her mouth in shock. "What was it like? I've heard scary, terrible things about mer-mating and blood consumption. Human blood causes a rabid frenzy. Did you hurt him?!"

"Well that would've been good to know _before_ I bit him," Atem replied, wide-eyed and fearful. "A rabid frenzy?"

"Or a high," Mai offered unhelpfully. "Depending on which blood-type you consumed, you don't die from it, but…he might. You might have hurt his insides. I hope you didn't."

"He wasn't—he wasn't bleeding," Atem said weakly, feeling faint, and his stomach churned with dread.

"No, his insides can bleed too," Anzu said worriedly. "Humans can bleed Internally. Do you know anything about that?"

"No?" Atem whispered, trying desperately to recall what he had learned about human anatomy centuries ago in school. "I can't recall."

"They don't teach you that shit in school, please," Mai said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "This is something Warriors are taught. If you hit a human hard enough, they'll…kinda…pop. Inside. It'll be a painful death."

"They do not _pop_ , Mai, come on." Anzu growled, sitting on the floor beside Atem and moving to grab his hands reassuringly, and Atem gripped her hands back in return, willing himself to remain calm.

Kaiba was fine. Kaiba was always fine.  
He was not bleeding to death from the inside.  
He acted fine afterwards, so he had to be fine.

"Kaiba?" Mai asked, catching Atem's thoughts and making direct eye-contact with Anzu. "Did you hear that, Zuzu?"

"Seto…Kaiba?" Anzu squeaked, the color draining from her face, and Atem looked between the two mermaids, wondering why the atmosphere had changed so dramatically.

"You know him?!" Atem felt a rush of relief. "Is he a famous human? Have you seen him before? He's beautiful, isn't he?"

"Well, oh! Humans age," Mai said, clicking her manicured fingers together quickly. "Zuzu, he's not eight anymore. He has to be about…like, twenty or something now."

"Right!" Anzu clapped her hands together and looked relieved, and then stricken again. "But…he's a Kaiba."

"That he is," Mai said dryly, and Atem felt oddly left out.

"You were probably still a hatchling then," Mai said loftily, giving him a condescending look. "There was an evil human named Gozaburo Kaiba, and he was at war with other humans, dropping metal debris everywhere that sank and hurt several of our colonies. Warriors had to be deployed on land to negotiate for our safety."

Stunned speechless, Atem looked to Anzu for help.  
Kaiba was not an evil man!

"They're related." Anzu said nervously, glancing at Mai hesitantly. "Should I show him the picture?"

"Do whatever you want," Mai scoffed, tying a bright blue tie at the end of her hair and admiring it carelessly. "Just do it quick. He has to leave soon. I've been keeping the time, don't worry."

"Picture?" Atem croaked, watching Anzu leave his side and start rummaging at the back of the cave. "Well, regardless. My Kaiba is…well, he's charming, and has my best interests at heart. He released me when I was captured."

"Hmm," Mai hummed noncommittally as Anzu came rushing back with a piece of paper stuck in plastic.

Atem accepted the sheet of plastic from her and gazed down into it, shocked to see a tiny version of Kaiba on the cover, looking deeply unhappy while his hand was being held by a fat, old human, wearing an ugly red suit.

"He looks…angry here," Atem said carefully, wondering if this was really his Seto Kaiba as a child.

The title of the magazine was " ** _Gozaburo Kaiba Adopts Two Children from an Orphanage"._**

"So they are _not_ blood relations!" Atem said loudly, feeling another wave of relief. "Seto Kaiba and Mokuba were taken in by this cruel man. Seto Kaiba is nothing like this man. He is intelligent and warm-hearted."

"I can't believe you're having sex with him," Mai snickered, snatching the plastic sheet back and tossing it over her shoulder. "Is he good at it?"

"Wrong questions!" Anzu cried, looking distraught. "Is he…starting wars right now? Wait, you said, you made a pact with him to keep us a secret. Oh, my brave king!"

"I'm not brave. He sly-tongued his way around his words regarding war," Atem raged, finally understanding why Kaiba was such a devilish being. "But he instructed metal ships to help clean up the garbage around our hemisphere. He offered me that all on his own."

"And then you…fucked him and bit him." Mai grinned, propping her elbow up on the side of the couch. "I bet he _loved_ that. Or did he fuck you?"

"Mai!" Anzu exclaimed, but Atem didn't mind answering truthfully.

Talking about it was like repenting.  
He was grateful to have a keen audience who wanted to listen to his sins.

"He tried, but failed, so I'm always the one…fucking him," Atem said in a rush, his ears growing hot with embarrassment. "And his hands, they're always gentle. He knows…so much about pleasure."

"Oh my dear Goddess Teuri," Anzu gasped, turning pink and placing a hand on her chest, patting herself frantically. "I bet he's really handsome now, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is the most beautiful human man I've ever seen," Atem declared, feeling his confidence return in a rush. "He even said he would bring down a chunk of the moon if I so wished. It was terrifying to hear his thoughts, because he was really going to do it."

"See?" Mai nodded knowingly. "That's true love. Find me a mer-person anywhere who will do that, Anzu. That's why I'd rather live in Confinement than mate with another mer-person for the rest of my life. I swear to Ahti on it."

"But back to the blood!" Anzu cried, steering the conversation back on track. "You need to be very careful, Atem. Human insides are delicate and complicated, like ours."

"He can endure many things," Atem said cautiously, remembering how Kaiba had sat cold water for him many times. "He will be in the water with me for hours on end, even though it's cold for him."

"No…no, no," Mai shook her head, her brow furrowed with concern. "He will willingly sit in the water with you until his legs turn blue and fall off, all while not showing any signs of distress. You underestimate the power of human love, Atem."

Atem wrung his hands tightly, feeling another rush of guilt. "S-So you mean to say…he was freezing the entire time?!"

"Most definitely."

"Probably...yes," Anzu said worriedly. "A human will love you so much, that if you asked him to kill himself, he'd do it to please you without a second thought. Think about how he reacted when you asked him for the moon? Now translate that to...his own life."

"And that's why we're in jail," Mai said in a singsong voice. "None of my humans ever killed themselves. Plenty of other mermaids here have humans who did, though. Just stick your head out and ask."

"I believe you," Atem said in a heated rush, feeling his head spin terribly again as the air grew thin. "But if I tell him not to, he won't, right?"

"Unsure, because humans are unstable like that," Mai frowned, undoing the tie around her braid out of boredom and plaiting her hair again. "They'll say 'yes' to your face and then do something completely different. They're skilled liars, I'm sure you know."

"Yes, he's hiding something!" Atem nodded desperately, remembering all the times Kaiba thought about 'telling the truth' but never actually did. "Why does he want to lie to me? I won't hurt him."

"He thinks the truth, whatever it is, might hurt you," Anzu said gently. "See? Humans are complicated. Life is more difficult on shore. Other humans are vile. This one you've met sounds good though."

"I've heard things about Gay Humans," Mai muttered, and Anzu shot her a venomous glare.

"Not today, Mai. Now, Atem…" Anzu turned to give Aten's hand one last warm squeeze. "Don't drink any more of his blood. Be gentle when love-making, and get that lipstick."

"I tried to be gentle!" Atem protested, feeling as if he had done a terrible wrong. "But he kept asking for more!"

Both women stared at him for a moment before bursting out with laughter.

"It's time for you to go," Mai announced, grinning and tapping her temple playfully. "I've counted my heartbeats. Leave now, King, or start wheezing."

"Thank you," Atem said, rising up hastily and dusting the sand off the back of his fins. "You've made me feel better. I feel like…I've committed a crime."

"It's only a crime if the human is hurt," Mai said firmly. "Don't let people tell you otherwise. If you love him, and he loves you, there's no crime."

"There's no crime," Anzu echoed warmly, loosening the kelp curtain and holding it open for him. "Can you make it to the top yourself or do you need our help again?"

"I should be fine," Atem answered blithely, once again feeling as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Thank you so much. I'm in your debt."

"We're in yours," Anzu said warmly, giving Atem a quick hug before floating back into the cave and hanging onto the kelp curtain with one hand, waving with the other. "Safe travels, Atem!"

Atem waved happily over his shoulder, and heard Mai call out to him, "Wait! You forgot your weapon! This one has a royal insignia on it!"

"Please keep it for me!" Atem called back, and he made a hasty exit, barreling upwards to better air. His chest was beginning to grow painfully tight.

Unable to breathe properly anymore, Atem held his breath and beat his tail heavily, pushed his way through the dirty debris-littered water before bursting out of the top of the fissure, gasping for air.

Swimming powerfully back towards the palace, Atem took deep, steady breaths, willing his pounding heart to calm down.

There was no crime. He would not drink human blood again. Kaiba was not hurt, and he needed to be gentler when lovemaking.

Daring himself to feel happy again, Atem pressed on, letting his mind wander happily to the memory of Kaiba's lips against his skin.

* * *

Kaiba stood from his desk and stretched tiredly. He had been extremely productive today.

Time to call it a day and sit on the beach with Atem while watching the sunset.

Excited, Kaiba packed all his stuff into his briefcase and strode out of the office, passing by his secretary's desk and catching a whiff of her food.

It was a horrible, sour stench of something… _awful.  
_ What the fuck was she eating?

He stopped mid-step and turned to stare at her.  
She stared back, her chopsticks halfway to her mouth with a piece of seared fish clamped tightly between them.

"What are you eating?" Kaiba asked bluntly, his stomach churning with nausea at the sudden violent assault to his senses. "It reeks."

"But it's smoked salmon!" She protested, wondering why the CEO was criticizing her food of choice out of the blue. "I bring this all the time!"

Kaiba shook his head tightly, about to retaliate with an insult, but bile was rising so quickly up his throat, he could barely do anything other than lean over the wastebasket by her desk and vomit into it.

"Oh my…!" She leapt to her feet and her chopsticks went clattering to the floor noisily. "Mr. Kaiba! I'm so sorry! Are you…sick?"

Kaiba winced in pain as his throat burned, and his knees stung when they hit the ground. He gasped for air, trying to respond as he gripped the edge of the wastebasket, extremely furious with himself, and very embarrassed.

Yeah. Sick. The scent of cooked fish made him sick.

Probably because it was like as if he had smelled singed human flesh.

Another thing to put in the personal log.  
No more cooked fish.  
No more smoked fish, seared fish, fried fish, or anything other than raw fish.

"I…I have an antacid…" she stammered nervously, reaching into her purse for a stack of napkins, and she handed Kaiba one, her hand shaking. "I'm so sorry. I'll take my food outside from now on. You never seemed to mind what I eat…"

Kaiba swiped the napkins out of her grasp and stumbled back into his office to use the bathroom.

His secretary watched him go, extremely stunned. Mr. Kaiba never showed any signs of illness in all her years of working his front desk, but today, something was wrong.

Kaiba bent over the sink and washed his face with cold water, feeling another dry heave coming on and he tensed, willing his body to calm down.

No more singed flesh.  
Time to avoid all of Japan, especially the luxurious restaurants that served fish. Damn. Damn it all.

Taking deep, trembling breaths, Kaiba opened his eyes and glared at himself in the mirror, thankful that he didn't look worse for wear.

He dried off and composed himself haughtily, cursing Atem in his mind as he walked out of the bathroom and past his office doors, pleased to see that his secretary had left, even taking care to bundle up the plastic in the wastebasket and leave a note taped to it for the cleaning crew.

She deserved a fucking raise for that.

Picking his briefcase up from the floor, Kaiba held his breath when he caught another sour whiff of the smoked fish, and he hurried into the elevator, desperate for clean air.

That was horrible.  
Each new discovery regarding his regular scale consumption was becoming more and more unpleasant.

If it wasn't being boiled alive in the shower, it was vomiting at the first scent of a cooked fish.

 _But for Atem, it's all fucking worth it_ , Kaiba thought furiously to himself, stabbing the elevator button and leaning against the mirrored walls.

Perhaps it was finally time to tell Atem about drinking the liquified scales, because these embarrassing and life-threatening moments could all be avoided if Atem just told him what to do.

 _I'll tell him tonight_ , Kaiba thought decidedly, crossing his arms and frowning at his own reflection in the elevator mirrors.

* * *

Atem sat nervously on his throne, surrounded by angry and concerned faces of his royal court.

Everyone was gathered in a circle around him, while the palace guard, the Stealthsman, floated in the center, looking extremely frightened.

"Tell them what you told me," Mahad said coldly, pointing his staff threateningly at the Stealthsman gold-armored chest. "Slander the king, right to his face while we all listen. And Atem, you _must_ hear this."

Atem shook his head fearfully, desperately trying to make eye contact with Mahad in order to send him a private thought, but his bodyguard was fixated angrily on the palace guard in the middle.

"Oh, what is it now?" Solomon grumbled, folding his arms across his chest and eyeing the guard tiredly. "Speak, lest we behead or banish you."

"Old practices, which we won't do, because they don't apply here in this situation," Shadi said, trying to sound reassuring. "You are not a criminal. What do you have to say, Stealthsman? You are an honorable warrior. Do you stake your reputation on it?"

The guard shook his head, his eyes wide with terror while he remained silent.

Atem drummed his fingers nervously against the throne's armrest. He had a bad feeling about what was about to happen next.

"Very well, he won't speak, so I will speak for him," Mahad said, his voice shaking, and Atem tried to make eye-contact again, but he was soundly ignored.

"This man here says he saw our king mating with an unwilling human male on shore, while feeding on his blood. That is the most blasphemous sentence I've ever spoken, may Suijin have mercy on my soul. Now, what punishment does this man deserve?"

"He said…WHAT?!" Solomon roared, and everyone flinched. "Mating? With an unwilling human male? While feeding on his blood? Are you telling tall tales of lies and horror, Stealthsman?"

"How do human males mate with other human males?" Rishid asked gruffly, and he was given a poisonous glare from Isis.

"That is neither here nor there," the priestess declared, shaking her dark hair back on her shoulders and glaring at the guard. "What did our king do to you, to make you speak such lies, Stealthsman?"

"You hate the human, we understand that," Shadi said, projecting his own hatred in his statement. "But there's no need to lump our youngest king in with that shore-walking mongrel. Slander the human all you want, but why say that Atem was feeding on his blood?"

The guard remained willfully silent and kept his head down.

Atem curled his fingers into a fist, beginning to feel increasingly more guilty. It seemed this innocent man was about to face punishment…for telling the truth.

"Perhaps, you saw Atem attack the human," Mahad suggested, prodding the Stealthsman's plate with the tip of his staff. "You saw blood. Atem returned without his weapon because he left it stuck in the human's chest."

"The human is alive," Atem said, his mouth moving before he could stop himself, and he cursed silently, shaking with a mixture of dread and fear at the thought of what he was about to do.

He couldn't sit idly by while this warrior was punished for speaking the truth.  
He was a bad king if he let this punishment go through.  
It was time to confess.

There was a long, tense silence as everyone waited for him to speak again.

"Do not punish this warrior, for he did nothing wrong," Atem said shakily, rising slowly from the throne and gazing at each angry face in his court. "What he says…is true."

Atem bowed forward humbly, feeling his eyes burn with unshed tears of anger and shame as he spoke clearly.

"So, punish me, dethrone me, behead me, or throw me in Confinement. I accept my fate willingly."

It didn't matter how many times the mermaids in Confinement told him that what he did wasn't a crime. It felt like crime, and his people treated it like a crime, therefore, mating with Seto Kaiba…was a crime.

There was angry sputtering and noises of disbelief coupled with contempt, but Atem did not raise his head. He expected to be speared on the spot by Shadi or Solomon.

"A-Atem…." Mana's voice was barely a whisper. "I don't believe you."

"Then don't believe me," Atem said evenly, keeping his fists clenched at his sides. "But don't punish the guard for reporting my sins."

There was another long and tense silence before Solomon spoke, dismissing the guard.

Atem grit his teeth, still waiting to be killed.

"Look me in the face, in the eyes, and tell me exactly what you did," Solomon's voice was rough and commanding. "Now, Atem. Raise your head!"

Aatem obediently raised his head and looked Solomon right into his round, violet eyes, gathering his courage and speaking with one breath.

"While in captivity, I mated with him in exchange for my freedom. After my release, I grew fond of him, and made a blood pact, hoping to prevent any future wars he might start if I didn't surface to see him. But in our blood pact, I agreed to see him as a part of my duties, and our mating continued, before escalating yesterday when I bit him in jest. I never intended to actually bite him—"

"The mermaids in Confinement have brainwashed you," the old merman interrupted him, pointing his staff accusingly at Atem's chest. "Mahad had reports of you playing and wrestling with the human on your previous journey to shore. How does that escalate to mating, I ask you?"

Atem squared his shoulders and held the old man's gaze steadily, "I love him. Not like a brother or a friend. I love him like a Mate."

"You...can _not_!" Shadi cried, losing his composure quickly and glancing around the throne room with an air of panic. "He is a human man! You are a merman! We need an heir!"

"Just because I mated with him, doesn't mean I won't mate with other mer-people," Atem argued, realizing how bad that sounded, and his feelings were mirrored with noises of disgust.

"No mermaid will ever want to come near you after hearing what you've done," Rishid added unhelpfully. "You've been tainted. Perhaps Confinement is the right place for you. You're making history, Atem. You're quickly becoming the most problematic royal we've had this millennium."

"No…NO!" Mana cried, rushing to place herself in front of Atem, her eyes brimming with tears. "Did you not hear what he said? He did it for freedom!"

"I knew that slime bag was acting strange! I told you, Mahad!" Shadi roared. "He released Atem too quickly, and why? Because of this! Precisely this! He didn't want riches, because he was busy _dirtying our king_!"

Mahad opened and closed his mouth angrily, at a loss for words.

"This is all my fault…because I was afraid—" Mana cried, and Atem shook his head, interrupting. "No, Mana. I could have bargained away anything else, but I chose to indulge him…with mating."

"Are you acting out because you miss your father, Atem?" Shadi asked grimly, looking at the king with mild sympathy. "Is that why you're behaving this way?"

"What do we do?" Isis asked, looking to Solomon for guidance. "Atem is our youngest king, making the mistakes of a young mer-person. Confinement is not a constructive form of punishment, nor is death, or banishment. Also, dethroning our True King will make us appear weak to other colonies."

"He also has a blood pact hanging over his head," Rishid added, "with a human. The only sitting royal with an active blood pact, and a criminal sentence. Truly, this is one for the books."

"Rishid, I will scratch you!" Mana shrieked, and Atem held onto Mana's arm tightly, giving her a gentle shake. "Mana…please. I deserve any and all punishment. Don't stand up for me. What I did was…"

Atem faltered uncharacteristically. Sex with Seto Kaiba had been amazing, wonderful, glorious. The most beautiful moments had come from those precious minutes they shared together on shore.

"I am disappointed in you, Atem," Solomon said, shaking his head, his white hair flowing softly around his face. "We are still expecting great things from you. We will need to devise the appropriate punishment."

"I want to pay the human a visit," Shadi spat, pointing up at the surface with a clawed finger. "It's about that time, right? Let's hold an open court session with Seto Kaiba on shore, and then…I will stick this spear through his face for lying to us regarding Atem's capture."

"I will join you," Mahad fumed, raising his spear in support, feeling a rush of solidarity towards Shadi. "I'll drown him while he bleeds from the wound you made."

"No need, no need." Solomon held up a hand, and Atem gazed fearfully at the old merman. "Atem, you will no longer make journeys to shore. At all."

"Ever?" Atem breathed, slowly growing numb with horror. "I need…the sun."

"Then you will get the proper amount of sun, accompanied by a group of armed guards," Solomon declared, and everyone nodded in agreement. "You only need the sun once every decade, so, this will be your punishment."

"Supervised Sun-Time, no shore, no humans," Rishid summarized, sounding slightly appalled. "Sounds like the punishment mermaids get in Confinement."

"Yes, but Atem will still sit on the throne and complete his duties, as per his blood pact," Solomon said cleverly. "Mahad and I have spent a great deal of time thinking about how to worm our way out of your pact, and this is how."

Mana pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide.

"As long as you are 'doing your duties', going on shore will _not_ be one of those duties," Solomon proclaimed, and Atem could feel his heart sinking lower and lower into his stomach. "The court now declares that our king, Atem, will not have to surface at all for the next century, therefore, absolving him from any shore-related visits with the problematic human."

There was a silence.

"That should do it," Solomon said gruffly, pointing his staff at Atem sadly. "You are my blood, Atem. I will not let you waste your time traveling to and from shore. From now on, your duties as king are as follows: take care of our people here and produce an heir."

"But what if that didn't break the blood pact agreement?" Isis asked worriedly, and Atem couldn't find his voice to argue. He as being…punished in the worst way possible, and he couldn't do anything about it.  
No shore visits for the next century?  
How long did humans live?  
Would he be able to see Seto Kaiba after his punishment was over? Would Seto Kaiba still be waiting for him on the shore after he disappeared for a century without so much of a goodbye?

"Then we will bring him to shore, with an army," Mahad growled, and Shadi nodded in vicious agreement. "The human wants to see Atem? He'll need eyes to do that. I know a mermaid who collects eyeballs out of dead human skulls. She pays a good price for fresh ones."

"That's extreme, even for you, Advisor," Isis said coldly before turning to address Atem. "This is a mild punishment, as I'm sure you know. The mermaids you've spoken to have all been condemned for several millennia. Let this horrific event pass us by, my king. We will forgive you."

"Yes, we will work past this!" Mana gasped, grabbing Atem's hand tightly and hanging on for dear life. "Your century will be over before you know it, and you can sun yourself fully on any shore you want."

"But! You must first think about what you've done," Solomon said angrily, shaking his head and beginning to float away. "You kids these days all have too much freedom. When I was a hatchling, I didn't get shore-visits until I was _at least_ two centuries old. Look at you, Atem, barely a century has passed since your crowning, and you're acting like a delinquent."

"H-Half a century…please!" Atem begged, finally finding his voice. "This is cruel! I can't just disappear without telling him why! Let me say goodbye...!"

"NO! Absolutely not!" Mahad shouted, losing his temper and making meaningful eye contact with Shadi. "He is dangerous! He captured you, and then fooled you into believing you love him like a Mate! Come to your senses, my dear Atem!"

"Th-That's horrible…" Mana breathed, gripping her cheeks with white fingertips. "Humans will do that? Have you really been fooled, Atem?"

"No!" Atem raged, but Isis spoke over him at the same time, "Yes!"

"Humans are clever," Isis declared. "They will hold their own kind in captivity until a change of heart happens. They do this with children until they become adults, and their brains will know nothing other than what they've learned in captivity. I can believe they will do it for other species too."

"That's shocking! Horrible!" Rishid cried, looking truly disturbed. "I take it they steal their own young from their nurseries too."

"They do that," Isis said solemnly. "They even kill their own offspring because they regret having them."

"You're describing only the negative aspects of human behavior!" Atem protested, and he was given sympathetic look from Isis.

"Regardless. Your place is here, my king," she sniffed, brushing past Rishid and Shadi, heading for the main hallway. "This discussion has been sufficiently stressful, and I love you dearly, Atem. Farewell and good night."

"Good night indeed," Rishid muttered, and he swam off in a huff, followed by Shadi, and Mahad, who spared Atem a pained look over his shoulder before swimming off, leaving only Solomon and Mana in the throne room with him.

"I know that look, young one," Solomon said gently. "You're angry. Go on and cry all you want. You'll feel much better after a good cry, and when you're as old as me, you'll understand from my point of view."

 _Doubt it_ , Atem growled privately through clenched teeth, and Mana gave his arm a painful squeeze.

Solomon swam slowly out of the throne room, and Atem blinked rapidly, hating how tears fell so freely from his eyes. There was a terrible crushing weight in his chest coupled with a hot rush of anger and frustration.

There had to be a way around this punishment.

He knew it wasn't even that bad of a punishment compared to what the other mermaids got for similar crimes, but this meant he would not be able to see Kaiba for another century, and that thought was agonizing.

Mana caught Atem's tears in her cupped hands and gazed sadly at him, trying to console him with her thoughts, but Atem's mental wall was too strong, so she sat beside him in silence while the king continued to cry silently.

Taking a deep shuddering breath, Atem managed to speak through clenched teeth. "Mana…how long do humans live?"

"I don't know. I forgot," Mana replied quietly, and Atem nodded stiffly, thinking he would spend most of the next century in Confinement anyway…with the only two real friends he had.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Scale consumption makes Kaiba's skin hydrophobic and the smell of burnt fish makes him sick.

Atem gets complete opposite reactions when telling people about his relationship with kaiba.

Sad times are being had.

Next chapter coming soon

hugs,  
Ugli


	16. Chapter 16

The sun was setting slowly as Kaiba stabbed Atem's spear into the wall of rock facing the water.

The metal made a dull clunking sound as it hit the cliffside, and a tiny bit of rock fell off.

Kaiba continued to chip away at the side, intent on making a crevice large enough to fit one of his smallest surveillance cameras.

It needed to be a hole the size of his palm, and he had already tried drilling into the rock, but with poor results. The high-powered drill and steel camera mount caused the rock to powder and crumble.

It seemed whatever the spearhead was made from, it gave him more control, and he was able to cut slivers of rock out of the side, just the way he wanted.

Pleased with the sharp indent he had made, Kaiba wedged the spear in to cut grooves along the inside of hole.

He bent down to pick up the camera from the sand and he securely wedged it into the rock, thinking it looked a bit ugly and obvious, but it would do its job.

Sighing tiredly, Kaiba sat down and gazed out over the water, wondering what was taking Atem so long to show up.

Maybe the daily shore time was a bit too much and he would be coming tomorrow.

Unfazed, Kaiba rose to his feet and walked back to the beachfront house, deciding to busy himself with testing the cameras.

If Atem showed his face a bit later, he'd be able to catch him popping up on camera, and he could set up a remote alert system.

* * *

Atem swam in frantic circles around his room while he flipped through a book he had borrowed from the Royal Library.

He slid his claw down the smooth plastic pages, reading intently.  
This was human anatomy. There was nothing here about life-spans.

After his horrible confession yesterday, Atem was sure that no one wanted to talk about humans with him anymore.

The only people he could ask about human life-spans were the mermaids in Confinement, but he couldn't leave the palace without an armed guard for 'protection'.

 _I'm a prisoner in my own home_ , Atem thought furiously, hurling the book in a rage across the room and watching it hit the wall with a dull thunk and slowly fall to the sandy floor.

He gazed up at the ceiling and bit back frustrated tears again.  
No. Crying was useless. He needed more information.

Atem got up and swept the book off the floor, deciding he would read through the entire book until he went cross-eyed. Everything here was related to Seto Kaiba, and this was one way to stay close to him while they were apart.

Opening the book with renewed determination, Atem narrowed his eyes and continued to read about human knees and the tendons that made them move.

* * *

Kaiba rolled tiredly out of bed and silenced his beeping alarm.

There was a headache pounding at his temples and he pressed a hand to his eyes, breathing lightly as a wave of nausea rose steadily up his chest, threatening to consume him.

 _I fucked up again, somehow,_ Kaiba groaned, wondering if he needed to change the dosage of the scales, or stop ingesting them daily.

This was shitty, because he didn't have another subject to test them on.

 _Maybe I should get some lab rats_ , thought Kaiba wearily, unable to move from his bed as another clenching wave overtook him.

Drinking one vial now would cure the nausea.

Moving with agonizing slowness, Kaiba made it to his desk and fumbled his briefcase open with shaking hands, doing his best not to retch into it as he extracted a vial.

Uncapping it quickly, he drank it in one gulp and shuddered, hating how cold he felt.

Blinking slowly, his head spun violently, and the room began to fade in and out of his vision while his nausea rose to an all-time high.

Cursing, Kaiba rose to his feet unsteadily and stumbled into the bathroom, making it just in time to the toilet, bending over the edge and dry-heaving painfully.

His stomach emptied the liquid scales he just drank, and bile burned his throat badly.

Kaiba coughed weakly, cursing Atem in his mind again.

 _Why am I doing this to myself?_ Kaiba tensed and rode out another low wave of nausea, deciding that it was no longer worth it to ingest the scales.

They were making him sick every day.

There was a loud rush of footsteps and Isono came running into the master bedroom, standing nervously by the bathroom door as he surveyed the odd scene.

Kaiba was kneeling by the toilet, looking pale and shaken.

"Are you sick, Master Kaiba?!" Isono cried anxiously, wringing his hands and thinking that Kaiba was overworking himself again.

Stress-vomiting was something the oldest Kaiba did when he was a child, and it seemed something was causing a relapse.

"W-What did you say?" Kaiba breathed, slowly rising to his feet as the nausea subsided, and he bent over the sink to clean himself up.  
Why did the old man feel the need to bring up something about his childhood?

"I-I asked if you're sick…!" Isono said shakily, bowing quickly. "I'm sorry for invading your privacy. I'll knock next time."

 _I'll get him an antacid for his stomach, and perhaps he should cut down on the coffee_ , Isono nodded to himself and turned to go, but Kaiba called out to him again, sounding irritated.

"I don't need an antacid," Kaiba growled, gripping the towel tightly in his hand. "And it's not the coffee that's making me sick."

Shocked speechless, Isono said nothing and nodded quietly, his mind churning with confusion.

 _Did I say that out loud?_ Isono wondered privately. _I should be more careful._

Kaiba stared at his manservant, noticing the old man's mouth didn't move, but his voice was still coming from him as if he was speaking.

"Whoa," Kaiba blinked rapidly, his head spinning violently again, and he leaned over the sink heavily. "Fuck."

 _He's going to vomit again!_ Isono thought nervously, walking away from the door quickly. _I'll leave, to spare him the embarrassment…._

Isono's voice faded as he exited the room, and Kaiba shook his head in disbelief. He gazed at himself in the mirror, noticing that he once again looked well-rested, and his skin was dewy.

 _Hello, I'm Fish-Kaiba,_ Kaiba thought anxiously, patting his cheeks and tugging at his undereye circles again. It was strange to see his own face without the dark shadows of tiredness.

To top it all off, he was hearing people's thoughts, and Isono's reaction had confirmed it.

 _I knew it wasn't magic,_ Kaiba felt a rush of triumph and patted his face with the towel again.

The nausea had faded completely now, and he felt fine. Frowning at his reflection, Kaiba decided to try ingesting the scales one more time before he left for work.

He strode over to his desk and grabbed another vial from his briefcase. Uncapping it with ease, he drank it in one gulp and felt as if ice was running through his veins.

The feeling faded as quickly as it came, and there was no nausea.

"Weird." Kaiba muttered, grabbing his phone from his nightstand and entered his symptoms in his log: _Nausea first thing in the morning, followed by vomiting after drinking the vial, and felt fine after the second vial. Can hear people's thoughts._

Setting his phone down, Kaiba quickly got dressed, itching with excitement. He couldn't wait to see Atem and hear his thoughts.

The look on his pretty face was going to be priceless.

Straightening his tie around his neck, Kaiba picked up his briefcase and strode out the door, running into Mokuba in the hallway.

"Hi Seto bye Seto, have a good day at work!" His brother called carelessly over his shoulder as he brushed past.

 _Seto looks less tired today. I guess that's good._

Kaiba paused in his step after hearing Mokuba's thoughts, and he stared at his younger brother, watching him disappear back into his own room and slam the door.

 _Interesting_ , Kaiba mused, and he grit his teeth, bracing himself for a rollercoaster of a day.

* * *

"Atem?" Mana knocked gently on the king's door and waited patiently.

There was no answer.

"Atem…please open the door. Solomon is requesting your presence in the throne room," she said anxiously, knocking again.

After a long moment, Atem pulled the door open and stuck his head out, frowning angrily.

"I don't want to see him, or anyone right now," Atem replied coldly. "Thank you for checking on me, Mana—"

"No, it's…urgent. You must come now," Mana whispered, grabbing his hand and yanking him gently out of the room and towards the hallway. "Don't be angry, okay? This is a good thing."

"What is? What is it?" Atem demanded, letting Mana lead him into the hallway and pause at the entryway of the throne room. "I'm being sent to Confinement, aren't I? The old man changed his mind?"

Mana shook her head silently and swam through the doorway, leaving Atem floating uncertainly in the hallway.

Sighing, Atem followed quickly and came to a skidding halt when he saw a line of young mermen floating by the pillars along the walls, with Solomon and Mahad in another corner of the room, whispering quietly.

What was happening?

"Ah…he's here," Mahad said, looking relieved, and he swam towards Atem, bowing his head stiffly and gesturing for him to float closer towards the line of strangers.

"What is this?" Atem asked impatiently, addressing Solomon, and the old merman puffed his chest out proudly, pointing at the line of young men.

"I've found you some friends, my boy," the old merman said, completely oblivious to Atem's anger. "And I made sure they're all men, because of…well, I took your preferences into consideration."

Speechless with shock and disgust, Atem said nothing and eyed the strangers quickly, noting that they were all about his age. Solomon had even gone out of his way to pick men sporting a variety of features.

One merman was blond with brown eyes, and another merman was very muscular, with brown hair styled into a single spike. Another had long black hair and wore an impressive amount of jewelry he had clearly made himself.

"I... don't want…or need…new friends," Atem breathed, thinking if the old man was going hand-pick friends, he should just release the two mermaids from Confinement and bring them into the palace to be his friends.

"No, my king," Mahad said awkwardly, giving Atem's arm a familial pat. "The old man means, perhaps, you'll feel comfortable enough to…mate with them after becoming friends."

Stunned, Atem felt his heart sink painfully into his stomach and curl with disdain.

Hell. No.

"You think you can just push me together with these men, and we'll mate?" Atem rounded on Solomon, shaking with rage. "Who do you take me for?"

"You've managed to mate with… a _someone_ , within a span of one moon cycle," Solomon retaliated, tapping his staff impatiently against the nearest pillar. "We will not speak his name, but if you can love _that someone_ like a Mate, then there's no reason you can't do that here now, with these lovely men we've chosen for you."

"We've chosen these men with great care," Mahad added, noticing the king's expression darkening rapidly with every passing second. "Please give them a chance. You're clearly old enough now, and you're feeling the urge to mate—"

"I hate this," Atem declared, noticing one of the mermen flinching, but he ignored it. "I'd sooner mate with you, Mahad."

There was a tense silence, and his bodyguard cracked a weak smile. "M-My lord, I'm flattered…but I see you as a brother, and a friend."

"I was joking," Atem growled, hating how seriously everyone was taking him. "I don't want to have anything to do with these men. Send them away and leave me alone."

"Very well, we'll be sure to include mermaids in the next selection process," Solomon said gravely. "At the very least, you should spend a decade with your future Mate—Atem, come back here!"

Atem stormed out of the throne room, thoroughly fed up with Solomon's antics.

That old man's head was full of antiquated ideas and methods.

No merman was ever going to replace Seto Kaiba.  
No one could replace Seto Kaiba, unless it was Seto Kaiba himself.

The concept of mating with only one person had taken hold inside of Atem's thoughts, and he swore he would not mate with another mer-person, because Seto Kaiba was always going to be the superior option.

* * *

Kaiba walked out of the elevator with a spring in his step. He paused as he passed the front desk where his secretary sat.

She sprung to her feet and bowed deeply while apologizing profusely. "Mr. Kaiba! Good morning! I'm so sorry about yesterday regarding the smoked fish…"

 _He looks good today! Very refreshed! His skin is glowing, and he looks like he slept well, thank goodness. I'm going to have a good day today, and hopefully I won't have to apologize to anyone he yelled at over the phone._

She straightened up with a bright smile and nodded.

Kaiba's mouth fell open slightly and he reminded himself to keep a straight face.

"I…feel fine. It wasn't your fault," he said hurriedly, hearing another rush of thoughts from her in response while she bowed again quickly.

 _Thank goodness. I'd be really concerned if he took a sick leave. I'd be buried in his work. I don't know if I can manage! I really need a few more paychecks to save up enough for my wedding._

"Wow," Kaiba said, and he walked quickly into the safety of his office, praying he wouldn't be able to hear her thoughts through the walls.

He had originally hired this woman because she neat, cheery, and approachable. She didn't ask a bunch of annoying personal questions the moment he walked in and was always showed up on time.

She was the perfect secretary…until now.

Sitting down at his desk, Kaiba grit his teeth, hearing her voice in his head again, but more faintly.

 _…Ah…he ignored me as usual. I really need to get used to that. I let him treat me badly because he's handsome…I'm the worst…._

 _I don't treat her badly,_ Kaiba frowned, feeling a rush of annoyance, and he strode back out to pick a fight with her.

"Hey, you!" Kaiba growled, sticking his head out of his door and glaring at her, seeing her squeak and jump to her feet again. "I don't treat you badly, do I?"

Her eyes widened as she opened and closed her mouth in shock.

Bowing again, she raced through her words, "No, not at all Mr. Kaiba! I'm very grateful for this position because…"

 _OH! MY! GOD! He scared me so much! And this just confirms that he doesn't even know my name! I've been sitting here for two years, and he still calls me 'hey you!' And I can never leave early because he'll think I'm lazy, and he works such irrational hours, I've had to cancel so many dinner dates with Tsukiya-kun!_

She beamed and looked expectantly at him for an answer, and Kaiba stared at her stupidly.

He hadn't heard a word she had said because he had been too busy listening to her thoughts.

"M-Mr. Kaiba?" She tilted her head to the side, and Kaiba leaned back into his office awkwardly, unsure of how to respond, and _another_ tidal wave of her thoughts streamed into his consciousness.

 _Whaaaat the fucckk?! Did he come out here to scare me and not listen to a word I just said? I can't wait to tell Umeko-san. She's going to scream. Ugh, I hope she got her dress fitted already. I can't take another alteration bill! The flowers are expensive enough already!_

Kaiba shut his eyes tightly and tapped his foot against the floor, willing himself to remain composed.

He was learning so many new things about her personal life in the past few seconds than he'd ever learned in the past two years.

He stuck his head out again, and saw her sitting at her desk, hands poised over her keyboard with a determined look on her face.

Shit, she was right.  
He didn't know her name.  
Whatever.

"Hey…so, I think you need a raise," Kaiba called from his doorway, and he saw her slowly turn to face him with an incredulous expression. "Come here, and we'll talk about how much."

He ducked back into his office and predictably, almost instantaneously, there was a happy squeal inside of his head that almost gave him an ear-splitting headache.

 _AAAAAAAAAAA! No way no way! Oh my gosh he's such a tsundere!_ 'Do I treat you badly' _he said,_ she mocked him in a deep voice, and Kaiba winced at her tone while she showed no signs of stopping.

 _AHAHHAHAhA and then he says_ , 'I'll give you a raise' _. I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL TSUKIYA! HE'S GOING TO BE SO PROUD OF ME, but oh gosh, how much do I ask for?  
I don't know how to ask.  
I've never done this before.  
Mr. Kaiba said I could ask, and I really want a high amount, because I take SO MUCH shit from him, I'm sure he knows! Like yesterday, he almost threw up on my new shoes!  
I would've stabbed a pen through his handsome face without hesitation! Hmph!_

Groaning and growling, Kaiba picked up the phone and dialed her desk, hearing her thoughts pause and switch tones again.

 _Ack! Why is he calling me! Oh no! He wants me in there! I CAN'T DO IT! I can't face him and say 'I want a ten percent raise' because that's too high!_

"Mr. Kaiba, I'll be right in," she said smoothly, and hung up, while her thoughts continued to spiral wildly.

 _I texted Umeko-san…so she better respond soon or I'm going to kill her. Ah! Tsukiya replied to my text, and he said…. I am proud of you my sexy wife! AAAAAAAAA IM BLUSHING!…you should be assertive. How? How do I do that? And make sure…he doesn't hit on you…sexually… EW TSUKIYA! Hell no! Seto Kaiba probably has a girlfriend because he's been leaving early this past month…._

Now mildly angry, Kaiba picked up the phone and dialed her desk again.

He could hear the phone ringing through the wall, and he heard her scream internally.

 _CAN HE STOPPPP OH MY GAAADDD! Oh no! Is my odd behavior telling him I don't want the raise?! Hang on, can he wait?! STOP RINGING, YOU STUPID PHONE! I just need some advice before asking blatantly for a ten percent raise! I heard people can get fired when they ask for too much!_

"Oh my fucking god," Kaiba growled, flipping open his laptop and quickly searching her name in his payroll.

Mayumi Nakano.

He rose to his feet and walked out of his office, seeing her sit up straighter and make eye-contact, looking slightly panicked.

"Nakano-san," Kaiba said plainly, scanning her desk and seeing no personal items on display. "I take it you don't want the raise."

Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head fervently. "No, Mr. Kaiba! You misunderstand! I'm just waiting for some advice!"

There was a silence, and Kaiba realized her thoughts had stopped because she fully meant what she said.

Ah…so this was how to make the thinking stop.

"Well, _my_ advice?" Kaiba replied heatedly, seeing her blush and look down at her keyboard. "How about you just take a ten percent raise and stop wasting my time?"

 _TSUNDERE! One-thousand percent tsundere!_ She cried inside her mind, and Kaiba forced a smile on his face, seeing her leap to her feet and lean over the front of her desk, her eyes sparkling, her mouth moving, but all he could hear was:

 _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA DID HE REALLY SAY TEN PERCENT?! HE DID! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I know he's not listening to a word of my thanks, but I don't care! I'll take any abuse from him from now on! I'll clean up his vomit ten times over!_

"You are so strange," Kaiba said, biting back a laugh, and he walked back into his office, hearing her call after him.

"What was so strange? All I said was, 'thank you!'"

Kaiba turned to give her a look over his shoulder. "Yeah, but you say it strangely." And he closed the door behind him, hearing her inside his head.

 _Wh-Whaaaaaaat?! H-He's so charming when he does that! No! No, Mayu, stupid! He's being mean! Oh gosh focus, focus, work work…I need to show him I deserve that ten percent!_

 _I can't work like this,_ Kaiba thought angrily, wondering if there was a way to block someone else's thoughts.

It was now time to fully test how this thought-permeation worked, because he was experiencing it personally— _Umeko-san's dress fits perfectly now thank god! And I have the funds to pay for that alteration and splurge on white flowers for all the tables!_

A notification popped up on his computer screen and Kaiba glanced down at it, seeing her organizing his entire schedule for the next month with ease while in her mind, it was nothing but: _TSUKIYA SAID HE GOT ME A SURPRISE PRESENT TO CONGRATULATE ME ON MY RAISE! AAAAaaaAaAAAA I HOPE HE'S GONNA DRESS UP! I'm going to wear the black lace dress I got from…._

His calendar made another ping, and Kaiba glanced down, amazed.  
How the hell did she work like this?  
Her mind was screaming about her wedding and dresses while she was extremely productive. She was also texting her fiancé because her thoughts kept reading his messages.

 _I need a thought blocker_ , Kaiba raged, getting up and pacing his office. The only way he knew of, was distance, but it had to be something else. It wasn't just distance causing a disruption, otherwise they'd be able to hear each other no matter the range—OH MY DARLING, _I LOVE YOU TOO TSUKIYA! OMG he sent me a shirtless photo while I'm at work, he's so naughty hehehehe maybe I should go to the bathroom and take a picture with my bra strap showing….hehehe!_

Kaiba stormed out of his office and placed his palms down on the bevel of the front desk, breathing deeply and willing his face to remain impassive.

 _ACK SHIT. HE WALKED OUT ALL OF A SUDDEN hide hide everything, change tabs, smile at him…oouohggg what a wierdo! He's breathing heavily! Oh god, is he gonna throw up again? No, he's mad! Is he mad?!_

"How about a day off?" Kaiba said, giving her a grimacing smile with all of his teeth showing. "Or two days off? Or a week?"

She gaped at him, pressing her phone to her chest while her fingertips turned white. "I...Mr. Kaiba, can't afford to take a week off," she said quietly, and Kaiba narrowed his eyes at her, hearing her panic internally.

 _I need the money to pay for Umeko-san's big boobs to fit in her dress! I've had it perfectly calculated. If I don't take any days off until March…_

"I think you misunderstand me," Kaiba said coldly, leaning on the edge of the desk and drumming his fingers on the surface. "I meant your days off would be paid vacation time."

"I've already used all my paid vacation time," she answered automatically.

 _What's gotten into him? It sounds like he wants to get rid of me after giving me a raise!_

"So you don't want _more_ paid vacation time?" Kaiba asked gruffly, doing his best to sound disgruntled, and her eyes widened hopefully again.

 _Wait wait wait, he's giving me a raise AND more vacation time? What is happening today? Am I dreaming?_

"May I ask why?" She gazed at him with wide eyes and Kaiba looked away quickly, feeling his cheeks burn as he replied, "You're overworked. Take the day off."

 _He realized I'm overworked! All my prayers are being answered today! Thank you, God! A raise, with extra vacation, and a surprise day off!_

"Oh! Th-Thank you Mr. Kaiba!" She cried, jumping to her feet again with a bright smile and ducking her head down politely. "Thank you! I'll leave right away!"

Kaiba nodded stiffly and watched her gather her things.

She tucked her laptop away in her desk and swung her purse over her shoulder while eyeing him strangely, making her way to the exit without another look behind her.

 _Run…run run! Run before he changes his mind!_

Kaiba watched her frantically stab the elevator button with a manicured finger while looking very jittery.

Well, that problem was solved.  
Now it was time to figure out to make a thought-blocker.

 _Time to visit the lab,_ Kaiba thought dryly, leaning against the front desk with his hip.

The elevator dinged and she rushed inside, waving with a small smile while she bid him goodbye in her head, still celebrating.

 _Bye Mr. Handsome! Ooo he waved back! I wasn't imagining things! I can't wait to take a walk in the park with Noodles…_

The elevator doors slid shut and her thoughts got fainter as she traveled lower.

 _Maybe I should take Noodles to the groomers today too. Ahh…I hope they can take last minute appointments…._

 _Her dog's name is Noodles,_ Kaiba rolled his eyes and propped his elbows up on the front desk counter. He raked his hands through his hair, suddenly feeling exhausted.

Having been made aware of how unhappy his secretary was didn't feel good.

Sighing and deciding to take the day off as well to investigate his newfound 'mind reading' powers, Kaiba walked into his office to gather his things.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Atem is dealing with his punishment badly, hating the fact that Solomon is trying to set him up.

Kaiba can now hear thoughts due to his regular scale consumption, and wonders if it's worth it to continue because they cause nausea, and unpredictable side-effects are everywhere.

Questions ya'll are asking me: atem is king. Why can't he just do whatever he wants? Why does it seem like Solomon, Isis and even Mahad make the decisions for him?

My answer is: his colony is very political, so **the king** is more of a figurehead. He can make important decisions and people will respect him and listen, but he has a court, "the royal court" "open court" etc, which is very similar to how a Cabinet behaves.

 **Abbreviated definition of a Cabinet taken from Wikipedia (lol don't kill me** ): in some countries, (a cabinet) is a collegiate-decision making body with _collective responsibility,_ or a cabinet may function purely as an _advisory body_ , typically consisting of the top leaders (ministers, secretaries, etc). The head leader will almost always follow the advice given from the Cabinet, so it won't suddenly be like, TYRANNYYYY and everyone must listen to Atem no matter what, because then chaos would descend, and there would be war, and starvation, and riots…blah blah xD

The mer-people are (ahem, puts on monocle) _civilized_.

Alright imma go powder my curly white wig brb

xo  
Ugli

p.s kinda unrelated-related: there is a mer-people hierarchy where its elders first due to their age and wisdom, so Solomon is respected for his age. (and atem resents him for his age lol)


	17. Chapter 17

Atem swam in a lazy circle in above the play structure while children played tag beneath him, and three palace guards stood at attention by the edge of the plaza.

Parents were giving the guards nervous looks, and Atem's irritation rose to an all-time high.

 _Please wait a bit farther away, you're attracting attention!_ Atem thought angrily towards the nearest Stealthsman, and the merman shook his head stiffly, his face impassive as he replied with: _My orders were to stay within a spear's throw, and this is where I'll be, your majesty._

Furious, Atem dove down towards the structure, deciding he would hide from sight in one of the ship's large smokestacks.

Two children zoomed by, laughing and calling out to him. "Greetings, King Atem!"

Atem waved back half-heartedly and swam into the small tunnel, hating everything.

Supervised 'leisurely activities', supervised Sun-Time, supervised kelp harvesting, supervised _everything_! There was no reprieve.

A young hatchling was sitting with his arms around his tail, gazing blankly at the wall of the smokestack, and Atem drifted past him slowly before deciding to take a seat beside him.

"This is my secret hideout," the child said brattily, giving him a glare. "Tell me the password, or I'll have my invisible guards throw you out."

"The password is…" Atem raked his gaze up and down the boy's small form, taking in his light green hair, round eyes and pale skin. "Green."

"How'd you know?!" The boy cried, looking dismayed. "No fair. You read my mind."

"I did not." Atem said warmly, now wishing for some peace and quiet. "I'm going to sit here and not bother you. I'm trying to hide from the palace Stealthsman."

"Why? Is it a game?" the child asked, his eyes widening with curiosity, and Atem shook his head sadly.

"No. I just can't go anywhere without them."

They sat together in silence for a few moments.

Atem closed his eyes and sighed tiredly. Maybe he could pass the time here by thinking about Kaiba…again.

"King Atem…?" the boy spoke quietly, swishing some water his way which ruffled his bangs.

"Yes?" Atem opened his eyes, suddenly realizing he could ask this boy about human life spans. Young children learned about humans in school, didn't they?

"Is it fun? To be a king?" The child asked, swishing his tail back and forth underneath him. "My sister says it's not fun to be a royal, because you have to worry about many things."

"I do have to worry about lots of things," Atem said slowly, wondering how he could begin to ask the boy about humans. "I have to make sure everyone has enough kelp at the end of every moon cycle, along with other supplies."

"Well, thank you for doing that," the boy said flatly. "I wanna be a warrior when I grow up and learn how to fight. Can I serve under you as your warrior?"

"You may," Atem answered kindly, and he decided to just…ask. "Do you know how long humans live?"

The boy faced him with an excited expression. "Yes! We just learned about this two moon cycles ago. It depends on which region and what continent!"

"How about on the nearest continent, Japan?" Atem suggested, feeling a rush of excitement.

"Japanese Humans live to 85 years old," the boy declared, looking very proud of himself. "American humans, significantly less. Like…70. Kenyans…maybe 60?"

Atem blinked and felt all the air leave his lungs in a slow squeeze.

The boy scrunched his face up and scratched his head. "We had a huge test on all on the types of humans and how long they live. I think I got a good grade. I'm the smartest in my class because I'm going to become a warrior…"

Atem couldn't hear the rest of what the boy was saying, because a loud, terrible ringing had filled his ears. A crushing weight was growing in his chest, and his stomach was tight with anger and disbelief.

80 years? Only 80 years?!

"Yeah, it's really short," the boy said plainly, oblivious to Atem's distress. "That's why humans are so fickle. I heard that the longer humans live, the more bitter they become. Or something like that. Miss Ao says that's the reason humans start…"

Atem zoned out again, balling his hands into tight fists while his heart pounded thickly in his ears.  
No. That couldn't be right.  
Humans _had_ to live longer than 80 years.  
That was practically the life expectancy of a pet whale!

"I'm…sorry," the boy said sympathetically, inching closer to Atem and patting him on his arm. "Did your pet whale pass on?"

Atem shook his head with a great effort and swam silently out of the smokestack, biting back tears of frustration and anger.

He bobbed steadily before one of the Stealthsman and pointed into the smokestack of the play structure. "There's a child in there who wants to learn spearing techniques. Talk to him, won't you? The password is green."

The guard frowned at him in confusion and Atem addressed the other two men, his voice shaking with distress. "I'm going home. Escort me back to my room. I've had enough…"

 _Of everything,_ Atem finished mournfully in his mind, swimming off towards the palace without waiting for the men to follow.

Letting the tears run quickly off his cheeks, Atem palmed them off his face, not caring that he was littering gemstones over people's rooftops.

He needed to renegotiate the terms of his punishment with everyone and beg for forgiveness harder than ever.

* * *

Kaiba bent down to inspect the array of lipsticks displayed before him, and all three of his chemists bowed proudly.

The women were so excited, they talked over one another and finished each other's sentences.

Kaiba nodded absently, only half-listening, because he could hear their thoughts in-between all of their voices.

"So, we've finally managed to find a way to incorporate the liquid…"

 _Mr. Kaiba looks handsome as usual today, no, his skin is glowing. It must be the serum. I should start using it more every night. I've stashed some for myself._

"…It gives the color a good sheen too!'"

 _Some gay men have really good taste in makeup, but I'm not sure Mr. Kaiba knows what he's doing here. It's not my place to suggest the colors…is it? No one will wear this bright neon-green lipstick! Maybe a clown…._

"The sheen wears off after the first few applications, but it is very moisturizing…"

 _Perhaps we should stick to colorless and odorless. Everything here doesn't look like it belongs to the Kaiba Corporation brand. But I had so much fun making these! I hope he approves!_

"Very waterproof, as you asked. It only comes off with an oil and a light scrub."

 _For blowjobs in the shower with his boyfriend, probably.  
He's having sex in the pool with lipstick on, probably.  
Mr. Kaiba wants a lipstick that will withstand vigorous kissing perhaps?_

Kaiba grit his teeth and felt his blood boil while his ears burned with embarrassment. Was this really what his chemists thought of him? Gay? And promiscuous?

"I've been using this colorless one as a balm every night before I go to bed…" the middle chemist was still speaking, now more to her co-workers than anything. "Look at my lips. Aren't they soft? My husband says it's like he's kissing a new woman."

 _I hope he takes the hint. Colorless balms are the way to go. I personally wouldn't buy any garish Kaiba Corporation makeup._

"Make it a balm! You can sell the balm and the serum together!" The first chemist said excitedly, grabbing the tube of balm from her co-worker and tapping the end with her finger.

 _People might think that Kaiba moving into the cosmetics industry is a power-hungry move. Money-hungry too._

"Stop that, Yoko-san, that goes directly on my mouth!"

 _Omg this bitch did not just snatch that from my hand! I made it especially for myself!_

"I'm wearing gloves!"

 _This bitch is so stingy, always stashing and making things for herself using extra materials._

"You're wasting it by touching it!"

 _I will kill her where she stands if she doesn't give it back, right now. I'm a pregnant woman and my pregnant rage knows no bounds!_

"Yoko-san…Imako-san, please, we are giving a report," the third chemist said anxiously, and her thoughts were the faintest of all.

 _These two are so difficult to work with because they're always secretly fighting about something. This week, it's going to be about this lip balm. Ah…I wanna quit, but the pay is good here….and Mr. Kaiba is nice to look at. Too bad he's gay._

"Okay, I understand." Kaiba said, stepping back and folding his arms across his chest.

All three women quieted, staring at him apprehensively.

"The lipsticks are not going to be for sale," Kaiba said evenly. "I take it you have left over batches? Use it all, and I'll take everything with me. These are going to be a gift."

The women's mouths dropped open slightly, and Kaiba winced when all three of their thoughts jumbled together in his consciousness.

 _Wow! I WAS WRONG! HE'S NOT GAY?! Who is she?!  
Such a generous gesture?! For a woman, perhaps?!  
HE'S GIVING A WOMAN AN ENTIRE COLLECTION OF LIPSTICKS?!_

"And...!" Kaiba said, a little louder than he'd intended, "I want to begin testing the liquid on animals. Someone do the paperwork and bring in some rats. I'll be conducting those tests personally."

 _Cruel!  
Those poor rats, but I'm sure it'll be for a good cause.  
He's a murderer in secret! Thank god I don't have to touch rats.  
_  
"After the batches have all been used up, I'm splitting you three up into different departments, and you'll each be working on something new," Kaiba said calmly. "Send an email when everything is done. I'll come by with a truck."

 _Finally, freedom from these two!  
Thank…GOD! Imako-san has been showing up in my nightmares.  
I need something new, but I'm going on maternity leave soon…._

"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba," came the replies, and Kaiba didn't bother to answer. He was already halfway to the elevators, desperate to get away from the harsh truths people were spewing from their minds.

Hiding in the safety of the elevator, Kaiba breathed a tight sigh of irritation.

So, people thought he was gay?

 _Is it that obvious?_ Kaiba fumed, and he decided not to think about it further.

He was going to see Atem tonight, and thoughts of an evening in the sand with the beautiful merman was what kept him sane throughout the day.

* * *

"Mana!" Atem called, sending out solid thought-waves at the same time, racing through the long hallways of the palace, his panic rising steadily. _Mana! Where are you?!_

"She's in the infirmary," a maiden called to him from afar as she swam by with her friend, carrying ceramic vases in each of her arms. "I saw her there moments ago, my king."

Nodding in thanks, Atem changed course and swam rapidly towards the infirmary, still biting back angry tears.

He had to be absolutely sure. He needed to double and triple check his sources regarding human life spans.

If Seto Kaiba only lived to 80 years, did that mean they would never see each other again?

Atem bobbed nervously at the doorway of the infirmary, seeing Mana and the head nurse hovering over the incubators, watching eggs hatch.

A nurse waved at him and smiled warmly, welcoming him in. "My king! What brings you here today?"

"Human life spans," Atem said instantly, and the entire infirmary grew quiet. Even the mer-people in the beds stopped mid-conversation to stare at him.

The head nurse drifted away from the incubators and approached him steadily, bowing, "My king…let's speak in private."

Atem nodded and followed her into a singular pod and waited for her to draw the edges closed for privacy.

"How are you doing, my king?" She asked gently, reaching forward for his hands, and Atem willingly placed them in hers, feeling his body heat up instantly as she began to examine his vitals.

"I'm stressed, angry, and trapped in my own kingdom," Atem answered truthfully, and he received a sympathetic look in return before she released his hands and looked very worried.

"I-I'm afraid…your impotency still has—"

"I don't care about that anymore," Atem raged, interrupting her and knowing he sounded rude. "Please tell me everything you know about human life spans."

"A strange request," she replied, her cheeks reddening, but she obliged. "Humans on the shore closest to us, Japan, live to about 80 years. It depends on which continent and which region. Of course, it also depends on what the human consumes throughout their life, very similar to your pet whale, Jin, remember?"

Atem swayed on the spot, his body and mind numb with sadness and horror. So it was true. Humans lived only as long as whales…in the best-case scenario.

"Mana told me some of what happened on shore during your captivity," the head nurse said, sounding very kindhearted. "Please don't blame yourself. You returned alive, and that is what matters."

"But the human…I'll never see him again!" Atem managed through gritted teeth, growing cold all over with dread. "I didn't even get to say thank you or goodbye."

"The human will think very fondly of you for the rest of his life," said the head nurse, unaware that her words were causing Atem more distress. "Perhaps we could—"

"I came here to speak with Mana, thank you." Atem cut across her shortly and pushed his way out of the pod.  
He felt like screaming and never stopping.  
He wanted to cry and cry.  
He wanted to punch through a thousand stone pillars.  
And most of all, he wanted to be warm, in Kaiba's arms, listening to his thoughts inside his mind while they sat on the sandy beach.

"Mana…" Atem breathed, pulling her away from the eggs and leading her out of the infirmary, out of ear-shot. "I need you to go on shore for me and send him a message."

Mana's eyes widened and began to glitter at the edges with unshed tears, "Y-You want me to…talk to the human, Seto Kaiba, in your place?"

"Yes." Atem said firmly, trembling with determination. "I can't just disappear. I promised to see him."

"I'll get in trouble for helping you!" Mana cried, pressing her hands against her cheeks tightly. "You want to me deliver an item, or a message?"

"Both." Atem glanced around frantically and pushed Mana towards the end of a deserted hallway for more privacy. "The next time you go to shore, you must tell him of my predicament. Tell him, that I will still be waiting for him, and that he better still be there for me when I surface."

"I…I'm scared," Mana whispered. "Mahad arranged for a guard to swim with me to shore. Do I dismiss the guard? But I want him to go with me!"

"Just once, please," Atem implored, grabbing her hands and giving them a tight squeeze. "Remember our pet whale, Jin?"

Mana nodded tearfully, her pearl tears clinking onto the hallway floor gently.

"Humans only live as long as Jin," Atem said shakily, unable to imagine it. "My human, Seto Kaiba, will wonder about where I've gone…for the rest of his life! I still have so many things I want to tell him. I'm going to try to get Solomon to shorten my punishment. I want to visit him at least once every decade."

"Then…I wish you luck," Mana breathed, squeezing Atem's hands tightly in return. "What item am I bringing?"

Atem blinked rapidly, also trying to hold back tears. What item would have enough meaning, enough to keep Seto Kaiba's interest for decades on end?

Nothing.

The concept of waiting decades to see each other was too daunting.

"Atem…don't cry," Mana said reassuringly, already crying herself. "I-I really am sorry. I'll do it for you. I'll go see him for you as many times as I can. Maybe twice…I don't know. I'm really scared of surfacing."

"I know you are frightened of going up there, but I need you to go at least once." Atem swallowed thinly, his mind racing for something to give Seto Kaiba…something with immense meaning….

 _My earrings!_ Atem reached up and unhooked them slowly from his ears, his head spinning as he realized what he was about to do.

"Take these," he said, pressing the gold earrings into Mana's open hands, and her manicured fingers closed over them tightly with disbelief.

"Your mother's earrings?" Mana whispered incredulously, and Atem nodded.

"My mother's earrings. Give him these, and he will know that I am speaking through you."

Mana shook her head frantically. "These are your dearest possessions! I've never seen you without them. You can't give these to him! Someone will notice!"

"Find him and give them to him." Atem insisted, looking deeply into Mana's panic-stricken eyes. "You must, do you understand? My dearest possession is going to a person closest to my heart. Please, Mana… I love him."

Mana clutched the earrings so hard, the hooks dug painfully into her palms and she nodded solemnly.

"I will surface alone, and I will deliver your message along with these earrings," Mana said softly, bowing her head and suppressing a hiccup.

"What are you two whispering about?"

Both Atem and Mana jumped in surprise.  
Atem whirled around angrily, seeing another member of his court floating behind him. His royal ambassador, Shada.

He hovered awkwardly before them, the tattoos on his face looking darker than usual.

"You've returned from American waters!" Mana bobbed her head politely, hiding Atem's earrings behind her back smoothly without missing a beat. "Welcome back, Shada. You've got a lovely tan…."

"Yes, now leave us alone," Atem commanded, grabbing Mana by the arm and leading her down the hallway towards his room. "Good day, Shada. Debrief us later, we're busy."

Mana threw a nervous glance over her shoulder and gave Shada a careful wave.

Shada stayed where he was, slightly confused.  
Why had the atmosphere of the palace changed so drastically since he had been gone?

Deciding to ask Mahad, Shada swam off towards the warrior's room. After swimming down several long hallways, he approached Mahad's door and gave it a firm knock.

The warrior answered right away, looking tired and stressed. "Ah, Ambassador. Welcome back."

"Mahad," Shada said urgently, pressing his hand against the door to keep it open. "Has something happened? There's a chill…."

Mahad shut the door to his room behind him and whispered, "Yes. Atem was captured by a human, and this very human sits on shore, awaiting a delivery of dead scales tonight."

Bewildered, Shada followed closely behind Mahad as Mahad switched to thoughts as they swam through the palace.

 _"A despicable human. Forced Atem to mate with him for his freedom, and now our poor king believes he loves the human like a Mate."_

Shaking with disbelief, Shada swam right out the palace gates with Mahad, absentmindedly accepting the staff that was handed to him by the door guard.

"Good, keep yourself armed." Mahad said darkly, switching back to speaking normally. "I'm off to collect dead scales from all the salons. I know you've just returned from a long journey, but would you perhaps like to accompany me to deposit the scales on the human's private rock?"

Shada nodded wordlessly, understanding the full gravity of the situation. He had just come from dealing with American Humans on the opposite shore, and the experience had been grueling.

Even though he was tired from his long swim, he was loyal to Atem, and was willing to do anything to keep the kingdom safe.

"Good man." Mahad bowed his head in respect and dove down towards a tiny sea-shell covered rooftop of a salon, leaving nothing but a trail of clear bubbles behind his tail.

* * *

Kaiba sat on the beach, gazing out over the pink and orange waters as the sun set steadily over the horizon, casting its warm glow onto the sand beneath his toes.

He sighed irritably and inched closer to the waves, wondering if Atem was angry with him.

A thought occurred to him, and he bent forwards to inspect his own toes, checking for webs. Kaiba dug them deeper in the sand, relieved that his toes were all still separated.

"Atem!" Kaiba called, hearing his own voice echo emptily up and down the deserted beach, and he let out another sigh.

A faint buzzing was coming from afar, and Kaiba scanned the beach, thinking it sounded like his phone was ringing. Was it ringing?

His phone had been left on the desk inside the house because he wanted to avoid getting it wet.

Slowly rising to his feet, he walked back towards the property, wishing Atem would hurry up and show his face already.

Underneath the water, Mahad popped his head up and Shada followed suit, taking a loud gasp of air.

"Quiet…" Mahad muttered, scanning the shore for a human figure and seeing no one. Strange. Very strange indeed.

"Stay on high alert, Ambassador." Mahad said stiffly, heaving the sack of scales over onto his other shoulder, eyeing the large house on the edge of the cliff. "Just because he isn't present doesn't mean he isn't watching. He may have set a trap—"

"Just toss the scales on shore and be done with it." Shada growled, beginning to feel his exhaustion in the tips of his fins. "I'll do it."

"No, come with me. There's a place he carved out of the rock for us." Mahad replied carefully, and both men dove down beneath the surface again.

Shada swam hurriedly after Mahad, barely able to keep up. His companion approached a rock bed protruding from the shore, and to Shada's rising amazement, there was a tiny crevice dug out in the center, along with shiny steel hooks hanging in a row along the inside.

His skin crawled strangely as he inspected the deposit slot.  
This human, whoever he was, was extremely intelligent. Dangerous.  
Mahad was right to be cautious. Something also felt off about this delivery system.

"Done. Now, we leave," Mahad growled, tucking his spear at his side and kicking off the rock.

"Wait! Warrior…" Shada leaned his ear against the rock, pricking his ears up keenly. "Do you hear that?"

Mahad froze on the spot and bobbed gently underneath an oncoming wave and also perked his ears up, listening intently.

There was the rush of water, and the wind above their heads, the quiet whisperings of fish swimming along shallow waters…and nothing else.

"I don't hear anything, now come, let's leave!" Mahad insisted, eager to head home, but Shada shook his head stubbornly, keeping his ear pressed against the rock.

There was a constant, high-pitched electronic whine coming from the rock. Either that, or it was coming from somewhere on shore, and Shada recognized this sound instantly. It made his hair stand on end, because it meant there was a camera nearby somewhere, or some type of recording device that was always on.

"I need to check this rock, and the surface above it." Shada said gravely, and Mahad opened his mouth to protest, but was too late.

The bald merman had already popped his head up on the surface, his tail beating energetically beneath him, keeping him buoyant.

 _What do you see?_ Mahad hissed frantically, and Shada held up a hand under the water, gesturing for silence.

Shada glared intently at a black camera wedged visibly in the rock, the tiny circular lens staring him right in the face.

 _I was right!_ Shada growled, lifting his spear out of the water and weighing it in his hand. It had been a while since he had speared something from this distance.

"Oh, let me do it." Mahad surfaced too and stared at the ominous surveillance camera sticking obviously out of the pale rocks. "That… _cretin."_

"Can you hit it from here?" Shada asked, and his question was already being answered as Mahad balanced his spear in his palm with practiced ease.

Tensing his muscles, Mahad hurled the spear with vicious force, aiming just above the tiny camera, making sure to account for gravity taking the point of his spear downwards.

Shada's mouth dropped open as the camera shattered instantly when the tip of the spear knocked it clean from its mount, leaving nothing but a sad scrap of metal hanging out of the rock.

"You are a top warrior indeed!" Shada praised, and Mahad trembled with victorious fury. "But…your spear. Shall we work together to fetch it?"

"Leave it." Mahad sniffed, sinking back beneath the water's surface quickly. "He can have it…to stab himself through the neck."

 _Such loathing,_ Shada thought mildly, diving back under the water to follow the warrior. That had been mildly uneventful. Even though this human was intelligent, Shada had a feeling everyone was overreacting to this human's antics.

Humans loved their electronic toys. The camera was not malicious, but probably more of a safeguard.

Back inside the house, Kaiba stared dumbfoundedly at the missed call notification.

His hearing had somehow improved, because he had heard…no, he had _felt_ his phone ringing. Something in the air was conducting the signals enhancing his senses. Or it was something in the scales he was ingesting that made the air feel different?

Hitting re-dial on the unknown number, Kaiba pressed the phone to his ear, counting the rings.

A soft-spoken male voice answered the other end, sounding very tired.

"You've reached Dr. Marik Ishtar of the Ishtar Fertility and Family Planning Clinic. How may I help you?"

Kaiba frowned, pulling the phone away from his ear and wondering if he should hang up. What the fuck? A prank call?

"Hello?" The voice on the other end echoed thinly and Kaiba was about to hang up when the voice said his name.

"Ah! Mr. Kaiba, is it? I thought I had the right number. I apologize for not leaving a message."

Thoroughly confused, Kaiba held the phone up to his ear again. "Who are you and how do you have my number?"

There was an awkward pause on the other end before the reply came calmly, "You…left it with us, after sending us a fluid sample."

 _Oh…fuck._ Kaiba thought nervously, remembering that he had sent Atem's semen sample to another private lab because he had been too embarrassed to have them run tests on it at his own lab.

But he didn't remember the lab having this strange foreign name?

He was sure he had sent it to a Japanese lab.

"I don't know what game you're playing, Mr. Kaiba," the voice continued, now sounding slightly irritated. "Perhaps you have too much time and money on your hands, but we don't appreciate being pranked."

"What?" Kaiba breathed, thinking he was the one being pranked now. "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," the doctor said, now beginning to sound cold. "I don't know how you managed to get such a large amount of dolphin sperm, but if you continue to send us samples of it, we will file a harassment claim."

Kaiba's mouth dropped open and grew weak at the knees.

 _Dolphin sperm…?! WHAT?!_

"Thank you, and have a nice day," the man said, and the phone clicked off in his ear.

Reeling with disbelief, Kaiba bent over his desk and rode out a dizzying wave of nausea washing over him for a moment.

Great. The nausea was back, and Atem was apparently a dolphin?!

 _Which means I've had dolphin cum in my ass?_ Kaiba spiraled wildly, feeling a delirious laugh threatening to explode from his chest.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a splash and a ripple beside the rock at the beach, and he jerked his head up, leaning over his desk to gaze out the window, just in time to see a second spear lying haphazardly in the sand.

Weird. Was Atem throwing spears at the rock for fun now?

Racing out of the house, Kaiba dashed onto the beach, his lungs burning strangely with each breath as he approached the silver spear on the ground.  
He turned around to inspect the water's edge, seeing nothing and no one.

Weird?!

Kaiba whipped his head around to see what the spear had hit, and his blood ran cold with fury when he spotted the pieces of his surveillance camera scattered everywhere.

So this was why Atem hadn't surfaced in two days? He had spotted the camera and thought it was offensive?

 _Alright fine, fine, there will be no more cameras,_ _Atem!_ Kaiba thought wildly, turning around to face the crashing waves lapping at the shore, and he waited for a response.

Nothing.

"I'll get rid of the camera!" Kaiba said loudly, scanning the surface of the waves, listening for the tell-tale splash and the hint of a red tail, but there was no response.

It seemed Atem had left.

"Fine! Be that way!" Kaiba shouted, hearing his own voice echoing dully back at him up and down the empty beach. You better show your face tomorrow then!"

And with that, he stormed back into the house, deciding he would pick up the pieces of the camera later.

It was getting harder to breathe for some reason, and every beat of his heart was painful.

Cursing internally, Kaiba decided he would drink a second vial of scales before he went to bed tonight, because he was starting to feel sick again.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Atem finds out the horrible truth about human life spans.  
Shada makes an appearance  
Kaiba gets a weird call and still feels sick.

edited by: setokaibaes/marshmallons

see you next week for the next chapter!

-ugli


	18. Chapter 18

Mana slowly popped her head above the surface, scanning the beach for any signs of humans.

All was quiet.

The sun beat down heavily across her shoulders, causing her skin to sting, so she sank beneath the waves again, dragging the sack of dead scales behind her.

Her fear rose higher the closer she got to shore, and she swallowed thinly.

This was all for Atem.  
It was her fault that Atem had been captured, so this was the least she could do.

Hooking the sack of sales into the hole carved out in the rock, Mana hovered under an incoming wave, listening for sounds of footsteps. Still nothing.

She raised her head slowly over the water again, spying a Human Residence sitting on the cliff's edge and swam towards it. The tall windows were uncovered, and she could see right into the house.

No one was home.

Frowning, Mana kicked off the shallow shore beneath her and swam off.

She was partially relieved, but also disappointed that the human wasn't on shore.

This meant she would need to make more trips alone until she finally saw him in order to properly deliver Atem's message.

* * *

Kaiba pried himself out of bed and shivered. His body was oddly cold, and there was a familiar bubble of nausea sitting low in his chest  
The bright afternoon sun streamed through his open windows and Kaiba cursed silently.

He had slept the morning away, and for some reason, Isono hadn't come to wake him.

Rising to his feet unsteadily, Kaiba sat back down on the edge of his bed, feeling the skin on his legs ache.

Another mystery symptom?

Growling to himself, Kaiba dragged himself into the bathroom and stripped. He ran a palm down his leg while his heart pounded fearfully in his chest with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

His skin was so dry, it looked like the cracked surface of a dessert which had never seen rain.

He noticed the vein patterns sprawling over every inch of his skin which looked oddly transparent, very similar to freshly harvested scales.

 _Oh…shit_. Kaiba reeled, leaning against his bathroom counter as his head spun terribly.

Before he could compose himself, bile rose up this throat and he vomited heavily in the sink.

Furious, Kaiba braced himself against the edge of the counter and switched the water on, hating everything. His throat burned with a horrible sour aftertaste and he quickly splashed water onto his face after taking a few gulps.

He heard footsteps coming up the steps and predictably, Isono's thoughts floated into his consciousness.

 _"Master Kaiba…vomiting again. I'll get him some medicine. He keeps refusing, so I will keep pushing. Perhaps I should call the doctor and spring a surprise visit on him. Mokuba could use a check-up too…."_

Taking deep, steady breaths, Kaiba shut his eyes and waited for the nausea to subside.

His entire body was mysteriously sore even though he had healed from the rough sex session a week ago. The most irritating pain was coming from the stinging and burning dryness on his legs.

Desperate for relief, Kaiba threw himself into the shower, making sure the water was at its coldest setting as he shivered under the lukewarm temperature.

The water bounced off his skin and didn't help the dryness at all.

Growling, Kaiba faced the water and grabbed the soap. Slapping it onto his skin, he rubbed vigorously, mildly amazed at how the bubbles slid ride off his body and down the drain.

 _Fucking great_. Kaiba cursed again and stepped out without bothering to dry off with a towel.

If his skin had become hydrophobic, he didn't really have a need to dry off.

He snatched his briefcase off the floor and thunked it heavily down onto his desk, prying it open and scanning the contents, searching for the blue jar of serum. Grabbing it quickly, Kaiba dipped four fingers into the clear liquid and smeared it down his leg without hesitation, and the relief was sudden.

It was as if his skin had taken a deep breath of air, and the aching dryness vanished.

Breathless with excitement at this new discovery, Kaiba continued to coat his legs with the serum, and Isono's footsteps approached the door again, his thoughts louder than ever.

 _"Should I knock, or just go in? Will he shout at me to leave? I really don't enjoy Master Kaiba's temper. A young man like him should learn some tact if he wants to keep a partner around…"_

"Come in!" Kaiba called irritably, not caring if his manservant was going to see him naked.

The door creaked open and Kaiba winced when Isono shouted with surprise in his mind.

 _"OH! AH! He's naked! Ah...I did not expect that…well, he's…applying…cream? I'll—I'll put this by the door and leave."_

Kaiba grit his teeth and finished applying the serum, hearing a rattling clink of Isono leaving the tray of coffee and medicine by the door before he ducked out quickly.

 _"Young Master Kaiba has been behaving so strangely since coming into contact with the mythical creature…."_

"Oh, shut up, old man," Kaiba muttered, capping the jar of serum and moving to his closet to get dressed.

Isono froze mid-step, shock rooting him to the spot when he heard Kaiba's voice echoing through the front of his mind. W-Was he hearing things?

Kaiba draped his tie over his shoulders and tilted his head to the side, feeling an odd pang of confusion, coupled with another thought from Isono.

 _I'm hearing things! Or did he say it through the door?_

Staring aghast at his own pale reflection, Kaiba blinked rapidly and wondered if he should mentally send a response back.

How was this happening? What was transmitting this?

Isono stood motionless in the middle of the grand staircase, listening intently, his hair slowly standing on end the longer the silence stretched. Perhaps he _had_ just been hearing things.

Kaiba squared his shoulders back and glared at his own reflection, thinking quickly, _"I need Isono to come back in here. Forgot to ask him how Mokuba's lessons went yesterday."_

Isono's fingers slipped with sweat on the shiny banister as he heard Kaiba's voice in his mind once again, this time loud and clear.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway underneath him, and Mokuba appeared at the bottom of the staircase with a laptop tucked under his arm.

The child glanced up at him strangely. "Isono?"

Isono nodded robotically, taking a hesitant step downwards, and the older Kaiba's voice echoed in his mind for the third time. _"Goddammit Isono, come back in here. I know you can hear me."_

Mokuba tilted his head curiously, watching Isono sweat visibly, turn pale, and then slowly walk back up the staircase very mechanically.

 _Weird._ Mokuba shrugged to himself, and raced off towards the entertainment lounge, eager to get some video gaming in before anyone could stop him.

Upstairs, still gripping his tie tightly, Kaiba had heard all of this.

Mokuba's footsteps faded, and Isono's heavy steps grew louder and louder, until they paused and were interrupted with the sharp click of the door being opened.

"M-Master Kaiba…" Isono said shakily, bowing forward deeply and staring intently at the tips of his slipper-covered toes.

Kaiba slowly turned to give Isono an appraising look, stating matter-of-factly, "So, you _can_ hear me."

Straightening up quickly, Isono reached for his handkerchief and dabbed delicately at his forehead, stammering, "I-I'm not sure what I heard. Did you call for me?"

"No, I didn't," Kaiba said plainly, staring directly into Isono's dark brown eyes and continuing the rest of his sentence in a thought. _"Answer me properly with a yes or a no. You can hear me talking to you, right now?"_

Isono trembled. Kaiba's mouth did not move when he spoke, but instead, it was the voice in his head again.

 _"Yes or no?"_ Kaiba asked again impatiently, facing his own reflection again to resume tying his tie. _"I'm going to be late for work. Tell Mokuba that he's not being sneaky, and that I know he's downstairs playing a video game instead of reviewing for his high school entry exam."_

Isono swallowed thinly, almost choking on his own saliva as he watched Kaiba pick his briefcase off the floor and brush past him.

Still unable to move, Isono watched the older Kaiba hurry down the grand staircase and disappear.

Letting out a stressed sigh, Isono wrung the handkerchief between his fingers.  
Yes.  
The answer was yes.  
If he wasn't going mad, he could hear Kaiba loud and clear in his own mind.  
There was no mistaking it.

Was it…a new type of technology Kaiba was currently testing?  
Either way, that had been a terrifying and cruel surprise.

Kaiba sat stiffly in his car, listening intently to Isono's faint thoughts.

So, it seemed there was a range, and even though his own manservant was scared shitless, so much that he was unable to answer verbally, he would make a great first test subject.

* * *

"Please…Solomon, please." Atem floated anxiously behind the aging merman while he sat in a spongy library chair. "One visit to shore every decade. Unsupervised!"

"No," the old man said plainly, turning a page and continuing to read. "We agreed one century with supervised Sun-Time, and that'll be that."

"But humans only live about eighty years!" Atem protested, his anger rising quickly, and he pressed hand down on the page Solomon was reading, intent on getting the old man's attention. "He will die before I see him again."

"You don't need to see him again," Solomon said loftily, yanking the book away from Atem's hand and glancing back down at it again with a frown. "A young man like you should be perfecting your spearing techniques. You are not a warrior, so you don't need to make unnecessary journeys to shore. Think about what your father would say."

Atem fell silent for a moment, feeling his blood boil before he retaliated.

"My father would insist that I remain in the human's good graces. If I just vanish without a trace, he will grow angry and think that I broke my pact with him."

Solomon sighed heavily and shut his book with a snap. "My dearest king, the way you used your words in your pact has _saved_ you from seeing him. Don't you see? We've decided that you no longer need to rise to shore for your duties. He is on shore; therefore, he is no longer a duty—"

"I _want_ to see him!" Atem interrupted angrily, resisting the urge to punch the old man in the face. "I haven't been fooled. I love him freely."

"And no one in this court approves," Solomon answered shortly, sinking back into the chair and turning a page in the book. "Please excuse me, Atem. I need to brush up on my English."

Biting his tongue in anger, Atem swam away slowly and decided that he would pay a visit to the mermaids in Confinement to help ease his mind. Perhaps together, they could scheme and come up with a way around this punishment.

How did mermaids communicate with their men on shore? Atem vowed to find out.

* * *

Kaiba bent forward to inspect the rats and guinea pigs in each of their cages, all of them clamoring against the glass, their tiny nails clicking on the surface. He could hear all his lab workers' uncertainties echoing in his mind.

 _I hate animal cruelty. I hope he won't keep these here._

 _Live animal testing! I didn't sign up for this! Was this in my contract?!_

 _Knowing this man, he'll move up gradually and begin testing on larger animals._

 _Ah man, too bad I signed an NDA. This would make a great story._

Kaiba grit his teeth and straightened up, sweeping his gaze over his employee's faces. Everyone somehow managed to avoid making eye contact every time he looked at them, and the silence was heavy in the air.

"I hear you, goddammit," Kaiba growled, folding his arms across his chest. "I'll take them back into my private lab. I don't want anyone here touching these subjects. Your job here is to focus on the serum."

Several faces paled and many pairs of eyes widened as their frantic thoughts filled Kaiba's mind.

 _I didn't say anything! It wasn't me!_

 _Oh crap! Who said something?! What did he hear?_

 _Thank god! I don't have to quit after all._

 _Man, at least I can go home and tell my wife about this crazy shit_

.

There was another long, awkward silence before Kaiba turned and walked towards the exit, hearing audible sighs of relief behind him as the doors slid shut, accompanied by several jumbled thoughts.

 _Does he behave like this at home?! No wonder he's single._

 _So much silence. My heart can't take it. It's like he can read thoughts._

 _I need to hurry up and birth this baby so I can go on my maternity leave. I need a break from being pregnant, and I need a break from this man._

Pressing his hands to his face, Kaiba shut his eyes and forced himself to take several deep breaths.

Hearing people's thoughts constantly was becoming unbearable.  
Nothing was private anymore.  
His own privacy was violated when other's thoughts interrupted his own musings.

If he was at home, it was Isono or Mokuba's thoughts, either about themselves or something mundane happening in their lives.

If he was at work, he was at the mercy of his secretary's rapid-fire wedding woes and his lab worker's private opinions.

 _How do the fish people fucking live like this?!_ Kaiba reeled, stepping unsteadily out of the elevator and standing at the far end of the office space, trying to avoid the front desk where his secretary was already sitting.

"Mr. Kaiba! Good morning!" she said happily, bowing quickly and standing at attention beside her desk with a beaming smile.

Her thoughts came raining in, and Kaiba strode by her frantically without a hello, and slammed the door to his office, locking himself inside, desperate for peace and quiet.

 _Oghhh weirdo! He didn't even smile or look at me in the eye this time! He's seriously bi-polar oh my god.  
Oh! Tsukiya sent me a lovey-lovey email! HOW SWEET! Oh my darling...I want to take you out to dinner tonight AW YAY! …please wear…_

"Fuck me!" Kaiba shouted, resisting the urge to bang his head on the wall. To his supreme annoyance, her worried thoughts invaded his mind once more.

 _Oh my god. Is he okay?! What is he throwing a tantrum about now?  
Did he lose a save? It's probably that.  
He's always yelling in there by himself.  
Does he think I can't hear him?  
I mean, he acts like I'm not here anyway…I'm basically the phone picker-upper and the apologizer of all the things he does wrong when he offends someone. Oh! Right, crap! I have to remind him about a meeting with an American businessman today._

A soft knock sounded at the door and Kaiba sighed deeply, sinking to the floor.

He leaned his head back against the wall and pressed his hands against his face, not caring how uncomposed he looked.

He hadn't seen Atem in nearly a week, and other people's thoughts were slowly killing him.  
On top of that, his sense of smell, sight, and hearing had somehow sharpened, and he was able to hear Isono starting the car outside in the mornings, even though the garage was at least a mile away.

A soft knock sounded at the door, followed by a click and soft footsteps.

Kaiba heard a soft gasp and a slight headache started coming on after more of her thoughts flooded into his consciousness.

"Mr. Kaiba! Are you okay?! I'm so…"

 _OH MY GOD HE IS NOT OKAY! Is he having a crisis?! He looks…scary! Scary tired! Was he crying? Is this a breakdown? Do I need to call a doctor?_

Kaiba slowly lifted his head and gazed up at her. She was kneeling beside him with her brow furrowed in genuine concern.

He gazed steadily into her soft brown eyes for a moment before managing to crack a weak smile. "Want to go to lunch?"

Blinking rapidly, she sounded taken aback by this suggestion. "Uh-it's…it's 9 AM . Are you…hungry? Did you…"

 _IS THIS GUY INSANE?! Wait, is he hitting on me?! Why is he asking me out to LUNCH when it's breakfast time? Aggggghhh I wanna go to lunch with him!  
Tsukiya doesn't have to know. He'll get really mad and jealous.  
He's always thinking Seto Kaiba is a 'playboy motherfucker' ahhaahhahahaaa if only he knew….._

"You can tell your future husband that I like men," Kaiba said viciously, slowly regaining his composure while her face grew paler and paler with every passing second. "Let's do breakfast then. I don't care. Just anywhere but here."

"I…." She gaped at him with her mouth hanging open, and she remained on her knees long after Kaiba managed to stand.

 _Future husband?! He knows!  
How does he know I'm engaged?  
How does he know?! I've been extremely private!  
AGH DOES HE STALK MY SOCIALS?! MY INSTAGRAM?!  
Cuz it's filled with pictures of my dear Noodles, and I don't mention Tsukiya in any of it!_

"We're going to go somewhere…that serves…salad, and nothing that can talk back to me on the plate," Kaiba said stiffly, not wanting to find out if any of his new fish powers included hearing animals.

His secretary threw him the oddest look and shook her head slowly, declining.

"I think…perhaps you need a hospital, ." She said politely, bowing stiffly again, and her mind was eerily silent.

Kaiba understood that whenever silence happened after a sentence, it was a heartfelt statement.

"Yeah, no thanks." Kaiba scoffed, straightening his tie haughtily and checking his own reflection in the full-length mirror behind his desk. "No doctor can fix what I have, and even then, I don't need that kind of doctor."

She blinked rapidly and remained silent while her thoughts spoke loudly.

 _What is he going on about?! He IS crazy! People always said he was crazy, and he just never talked to me properly, but now we are talking, I can't. Understand. Anything._

"You can go back to your desk if you think I'm crazy," Kaiba said venomously, echoing her thoughts exactly, intending on shaking her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

 _Wow, he's aware!_ _That's great!_ She thought cheerily, and somehow managed another sympathetic smile while saying, "We're all a little bit crazy, Mr. Kaiba. Just find the right person to help you, and I'm sure you'll figure it out!"

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at her and watched her bow swiftly before making a hasty exit, her thoughts trailing after her faintly.

 _Whew! Avoided a "lunch date" with him kyahahaha! ….Ooh I can't wait to text Ueda-san about this! Tsukiya must never know…._

Grinding his teeth tightly, Kaiba slowly sat down behind his desk and realized that she had given him some very good advice.

He needed to find the right person to help.  
Who the fuck would that be, that wasn't a person who had a fin for legs?

 _A professor of mythology?_ Kaiba mused, his spirits lifting as he pried open his laptop and hastily typed in the search bar.

His results that popped up were numerous, showing results for accredited professors at universities all over the country.

How the fuck could he narrow this process down? They couldn't all possibly help, even if they were all knowledgeable.  
Which ones would go to the media and claim he was crazy?  
Which ones would turn him away and call him insane for having caught, conversed, and made love with a merman?

Browsing through all the profiles, one photo caught his eye.

It was a professor from R University located two hours away, and the name was unreadable, because it was foreign, but the man in the photo looked very similar to Atem and Mahad.

He had the same chocolate skin tone, dark-lined eyes, and startling long white hair. But his face looked youthful, and Kaiba was positive that in-person, this man's eyes would be violet too, because they were an unusual shade of grey in the photograph.

Excited, Kaiba reached for the phone and eyed the English written under the man's photo, squinting at it and trying to read it again.  
Marik Ishtar.  
Why did that sound oddly familiar and where had he heard that name before?

Indifferent, Kaiba dialed the number and expected no one to pick up, but to his surprise, the phone was answered on the first ring by a gentle voice.

"Hello, this is Professor Ishtar. My office hours are ending soon, so perhaps we could—"

Kaiba slammed the phone down frantically and his heart pounded rapidly in his chest while he glared at it, finally remembering where he had heard that name before.

It was also on the phone, last week.

Didn't this man call him posing as someone from a family planning clinic claiming Atem's sperm had been dolphin sperm?!

Kaiba jumped when his phone rang again, and he stared at the blinking orange light, deeply relieved that it was coming from the front desk.

He picked it up, and his secretary's voice was a welcome change. "Mr. Kaiba, the meeting you had with Mr. Rath this afternoon has been moved. He wants to meet at his offices instead. I told him you'd be there. Same time, different location."

"Thanks," Kaiba said carelessly, and he set the phone down quickly, trying to calm himself down.  
This Marik Ishtar guy was definitely suspicious.  
Was he walking merman too?  
Also, was he being close minded by thinking every dark-skinned foreigner in Japan could potentially be a walking merman? But the likeness was too similar to ignore!

This Marik Ishtar guy had also called his personal number somehow, regarding the semen samples. There had to be a connection. Maybe this guy was his way to the secrets of Atem and his world.

The phone rang again and Kaiba rolled his eyes, picking it up quickly, "What?"

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba. Marik Ishtar, at your service. It seems you have found me. Touché."

Kaiba felt his stomach drop to his feet with dread. Crap. The guy had called back! Why the fuck didn't he look at the caller ID before picking up?

"Stop lying to me about who you are," Kaiba said through gritted teeth, feeling a rush of anger. "When is your next availability?"

There was a brief silence on the other end before an answer came.

"I haven't been lying at all. I am indeed a professor here at this establishment. I am also a doctor at a nearby hospital."

"Yeah I don't give a shit," Kaiba interrupted rudely, knowing that these merpeople somehow managed to fake paper trails that could fool any law enforcement. "I know you lied to me about the samples I sent you, and I want the truth. Did you intercept my shipment to the lab somehow? I'll have you know that's a crime."

Another long silence.

"Very well. Tonight, perhaps? Come by my office around 8?"

"You'd better be there," Kaiba hissed, and he slammed the phone down onto its receiver, desperately hoping he had been the one who had hung up first.  
Whoever this guy was, he was annoying.

His secretary's thoughts were also getting louder and louder through the wall.

 _Oh noooo! He's gonna be late! Why isn't he coming out yet?  
The phone was on. He's on the phone.  
It takes an hour to get to the other guy's office!  
Kaiba better leave now if he wants to get there on time!  
Should I remind him again? The phone is off now…_

Growling, Kaiba grabbed his briefcase and slipped his laptop inside it before snapping it shut. First, he had to get through the work day, then deal with the Marik Ishtar guy.

What a full fucking day.

* * *

Isis swam rapidly through the palace hallways, frantically sending out thought waves.

 _Court gathering! An emergency! Please gather quickly, now!_

Mana heard this as Isis passed her door and she froze anxiously.  
Oh no. Atem was in Confinement visiting with mermaids.  
He wasn't going to be present for this emergency. Was it regarding the human, Seto Kaiba?

Diving out of her room, Mana zoomed right into Mahad's bare back, and she squeaked nervously, blushing with embarrassment.

"S-Sorry, didn't see you," she mumbled, and Mahad gave her a kind smile, offering her his hand.

"We'll go together, Mana. We've been having quite a few emergencies lately. I understand how you feel."

Mana gripped Mahad's hand tightly and allowed him to lead her gently through the main hallway and into the throne room where everyone was already waiting.

"Another emergency." Shadi growled, folding his arms across his chest with a look of disdain across his face. "Who has been captured now? I hope it was that fool, Rex. Let's leave him to die."

"No one has been captured," Isis said wearily, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder with a sigh. "I've received a message from my brother."

"Your half-brother, Marik?" Shada said, scratching his bald head and glancing around at everyone's faces, seeing grim frowns. "What happened to him?"

"Her half- _human_ …half-brother," Shadi sneered, rolling his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder why it wasn't you that a pair of legs, Isis."

"Be respectful, Advisor. Your hate for humans is unreasonable," Solomon glared, his fist tightening over his staff. "Where is Atem? No. Don't tell me. I know. Confinement, right?"

All eyes fell on Mana and she nodded weakly, gripping tightly onto Mahad's warm hand for support. Unable to speak, Mana answered with a thought.

 _'Yes, he left a while ago with a Stealthsman accompanying him.'_

"Never mind Atem." Isis said testily, waving a hand carelessly over her nose. "This concerns him anyway, which is why we need to discuss it without him."

"Oh great," Shadi muttered, and Isis talked steadily over him

"I've received a message from Marik. The human Seto Kaiba managed to obtain Atem's semen, and he sent it to a lab for testing."

Horrified gasps echoed through the throne room and Mana felt her blood run cold. So it was true after all.  
Atem did mate with Seto Kaiba, otherwise, how else could the human have gotten his hands on his semen?

"Marik managed to steal the sample and contact Seto Kaiba, telling him it was dolphin sperm and disposed of it, but Seto Kaiba is not easily fooled. They are meeting tonight, and I fear for Marik's safety."

"Why? He has no fins," Shada mused, sounding completely unfazed. "Let Seto Kaiba poke and prod all he wants. He can't do much. That human is very curious."

"Dangerous is the word I would use," Solomon said seriously, his long white hair swishing gently in the water behind him. "Curiosity leads to our endangerment. Good thing Atem bound him with a pact. He's a good boy at heart, even now, believe he deserves time in Confinement."

"How do I protect Marik? ...Mahad?" Isis turned to Mahad for help, wondering if the warrior would walk on shore again to defend her brother, but to her dismay, Mahad shook his head sadly.

"This is not a grave emergency. I've already been to the Chrysalis twice this moon cycle, and both times it was for Atem. The guards are strict with their rules. Also, Marik is considered human by our kind. I don't know of a way to help him."

There was a tense silence and Isis nodded sadly.

"As I thought. Well, I'll send him a message back, telling him that we know, but cannot help."

"And if anything happens to him, I'll be the first to go up there and avenge him," Shadi said coldly, shaking his head. "I can't recall a time when a human has caused us this much grief."

"I can," Solomon said deeply, beginning to float away. "This is not the worst a human can do from shore, believe me. This Seto Kaiba is not as bad as his predecessor, Gozaburo Kaiba. Now that man is a murderer. I'm glad he's dead."

"He comes from a line of murderers?!" Shadi cried, and everyone made similar noises of shock. "Why is this my first time hearing this?"

"Indeed!" Mahad chimed in, shivering when he wondered why he had not been informed of this when he had gone up to make a deal with Seto Kaiba.

"Because Atem's father did a good job of stifling the matter two decade ago while this court was still young at the time," Solomon said loftily, regretting ever having said anything in the first place. "Gozaburo Kaiba was the last crisis the previous court had to deal with before retiring. Now, excuse me. I feel _I_ should retire."

The old merman swam off, muttering angrily to himself, leaving everyone behind him in a stunned silence.

"Well, his actions of forcing Atem to mate does make a lot more sense now," Mahad growled, his blood boiling.  
His initial thoughts about the human had been correct.  
It made sense now, why every aspect of their meeting on shore had seemed off, because Kaiba had held all the cards, while he had been strung along like a dead fish on a hook.

"Don't blame yourself, Warrior," Shada said sympathetically. "I deal with humans all the time, and honestly, that is normal."

"Disgusting," Shadi stated, before swimming off in an angry huff.

Mana gave Mahad's hand a quick squeeze before leaving as well. She was going to wait in her room and recite the entire meeting to Atem when he came back from his visit.

* * *

Kaiba sat stiffly on the white leather couch in the empty waiting room with his legs tightly crossed.

He had arrived at this man's office ten minutes late but was somehow being sequestered in the waiting room because the meeting before him was still in session.

 _Maybe I should look over the notes_ , Kaiba thought wearily to himself, but he couldn't bring himself to reach into his briefcase.  
The peace and quiet was golden.

Sighing happily, Kaiba leaned back into the seat and dared to close his eyes.

The meeting rooms were two entire floors above, and there was no one on this floor. Not even a receptionist. That had been on the floor below. This was a recreational breakroom of sorts.

 _I need a room like this_ , Kaiba thought venomously, already thinking about what renovations he could afford to make in the building he was currently in.

Content, Kaiba crossed his arms too and made himself comfortable in the chair.

Peace and quiet. At long fucking last.

Everything was silent, except for the low hum of the air conditioner, and the odd quiet whispers floating through his ears.

 _Look at this man, look at this man. Yes yes, he is quite the victim. Indeed indeed. I almost feel bad for him…bad for him…_

Kaiba's eyes shot open and he stared right up at the tall, white ceiling, seeing the large chandelier above him.  
 _Who the fuck_ was that? And what. And why.

Holding his breath and unable to move, Kaiba didn't blink. He listened sharply, and the whispers continued.

 _But he does look like all the others. Yes, all the others. All the others before him._

 _A warning?_ Kaiba thought, feeling terror slowly trickling through his body.  
What the fuck was this voice?!

The most unnerving thing was that it didn't sound human.  
In fact, it was several voices, overlapping, all chanting the same sentence.

 _Is he asleep? Is he asleep? So relaxed, indeed so very brave of him to sleep in such a place. How long do you think he'll last? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know…._

Slowly sitting up straight, Kaiba scanned the entire room. There was no one around.

And then, he spotted it.

A large glass fish tank built into one of the building's pillars, with many brilliant multicolored fish swimming in a magnificent pattern around and around in the giant glass tube.

 _Oh fucking shit,_ Kaiba thought as he sat rooted to the spot, numb with shock.

He could hear fish talk.

 _He's looking right at us. Yes, yes he is. He'll come over here soon to look at us, and tap at the glass, no, no that would be bad. Everyone before him was forced to wait, wait, wait…._

Furious, Kaiba rose to his feet and strode over to the tank, intent on giving everyone there a piece of his mind.

"Shut…up!" Kaiba hissed, approaching the glass and glaring at the swirl of fish, not caring how crazy he looked to anyone coming to fetch him.

To his ultimate surprise, the entire school of fish paused in their circular motions and all turned to face him, their flat round eyes shining eerily in the bright lights.

 _He speaks! He speaks to us! Amazing! Incredible! Can he free us from this eternal prison? Can he free us? Free us! Free us! Free us!_

"Shut up, or I'll punch the glass," Kaiba said steadily, his eyes darting up and down the entire pole-like tank, impressed that it was a water feature built into the wall. It must have cost a fortune.

 _He sounds rude! How rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!_

And the chanting increased tenfold as the fish resumed swimming in their circular pattern.

 _Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!_

"Mr. Kaiba! Welcome!"

 _Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!_

Kaiba rearranged his face into the most neutral expression he could muster, and he turned around to greet the person who had spoken behind him.

The man's thoughts mingled terribly with the fish in the tank.

 _Rude! Rude! Ah, Rude! Handsome Rude! Up close Rude! Too, I see. Rude! Rude! Rude!_

His rival business associate bowed stiffly, his blonde hair swishing downwards quickly over his brow as he straightened up with a million-watt smile.

 _Rude! Rude! Rude!_ "I hope I didn't make you wait too long. My last meeting ran long…" _Rude!_

He held his hand out for a shake, and Kaiba stepped forward, automatically reaching for it.

 _Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!_

"No problem," Kaiba managed through gritted teeth, and to his relief, the fish began speaking normally again.

 _A handshake, so it begins, begins, it begins…_

"Let's speak in my office," the man said, and Kaiba shook his head swiftly, ready with an answer.

"Let's talk here. I like the _fish_ …and the _quiet_." Kaiba emphasized, praying with all his might that the stupid hoard of fish behind him would understand. "We can help each other, can't we?"

The fish had to understand he was talking directly to them.

"Ah, yes, of course! That's why we're here!" The businessman said genially, letting out a laugh and taking a seat casually after unbuttoning his blazer with a swift motion. "Please, sit!"

Kaiba nodded stiffly and willed himself to remain calm as he listened to the barrage of thoughts flowing through his mind.

 _Perhaps I should get him a drink. What does Seto Kaiba drink, I wonder._

 _Do our ears deceive us? Rude Man wants to help! Free us! Free us! Free us! We will help, we will help!_

Kaiba sat down stiffly and crossed his legs, seeing the man's mouth move, but his thoughts were clearer.

 _…He would look so nice…wearing something else…._

 _Don't accept a drink! Don't accept a drink! Leave here quickly and free us, free us, free us!_

"Well?" The businessman said, leaning forward expectantly with a smile. "I take you for a hard liquor type of man."

"I only drink when the day ends," Kaiba said automatically, and he pointed at the fish tank over his shoulder with a slender finger. "How much did those things cost? I want one for myself."

 _He will free us! Free us! Free us! Free us! Free us!_

"You and everyone else," the man answered with a gleaming smile. "My water feature is built by a private architect. A friend of mine. I'll give you the name… _if_ our deal goes well. I want my restaurants in your theme park, Mr. Kaiba. The more the better."

The fish began chanting eerily again.

 _Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!_

"I only have room for one," Kaiba said testily, folding his arms across his chest and noticed the man's smile faltering. "What did you have in mind?"

"Ah, whatever the kids like," the man said carelessly, shifting in his seat. "I'm thinking fish and chips? That'll be an interesting menu choice, won't it?"

 _Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!_

"Ah." Kaiba said plainly, unable to find another way to get the fish to shut up. "I understand. Well, that's not a healthy option. There are already four other restaurants serving fried foods."

There was a brief pause, before the man rose to his feet with another stiff smile while he spoke. "Please. Let me get you a drink."

Poison! _Murderer!_ Poison! _Murderer!_ Poison! _Murderer!_

"No thanks. I won't drink your poison," Kaiba said casually, flashing the man an equally bright smile, and he saw the man's expression darken in an instant.

"I don't like what you're suggesting, Mr. Kaiba," his rival said icily, his eyes narrowed threateningly. "I'm offering the best liquor I have."

 _Hurrah! Rude Man is rude! Rude Man is winning! Rude Man is rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!_

"I'm joking. Take a joke," Kaiba said, keeping the grin plastered on his face while he also rose to his feet.  
The meeting was over. He was done wasting his time here…if the fish were to be trusted.

"I don't like how informal you're being," the man said bluntly, gesturing towards the door. "Come, let's talk in my office."

Kaiba blinked and waited for the fish to say something. There was nothing but an eerie silence.

Come on. Why weren't they saying anything? Apparently, people who went into this man's office became 'victims'. Of what? Did he really have to ask? These fish were idiotic. Why was he risking a high-profile deal on what some fucking fish were saying?

"Well, what happens in your office?" Kaiba asked lightly, doing his best to keep his tone light, and he was met with a stream of hostile thoughts from the man while the fish remained stubbornly silent.

 _I've heard things about this Kaiba, and he really is strange. So hard to deal with. But I need him to cooperate. Why the fuck won't he drink anything or agree to meet me in a more private setting? After drugging him just enough, he'll sign anything, and maybe do a little more…._

"Oh." Kaiba said, unable to keep the shock off his own face, and he turned to give the fish behind him a look, hearing them laughing at him while they continued to swim in a lazy circle.

 _Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha._

"Mr. Kaiba?" The man frowned and stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the tank. "You really like my fish that much?"

"Yeah, they…" Kaiba saw the fish swim higher and higher, almost reaching the very top of the pillar as they continued to laugh and chant.

 _We hate him! We hate him! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Monster! Murderer! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Murderer! Monster! Murderer! Monster! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha._

The man looked up too and his jaw dropped open, seeing the fish swirling beautifully up along the entire pillar.

"Wow! Are they doing tricks today? I've never seen them do that!" He stepped back to admire them with awe, and Kaiba felt himself sweat.

 _Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha . We're dancing! We're happy! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. We've foiled him today! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Murderer! Monster! Murderer! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.  
Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.  
Tell him. TELL HIM! TELL HIM! Rude Man, tell him! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha._

"They want me to tell you something," Kaiba said, biting back a laugh, and the man snapped back to reality with sharp, piercing eyes.

 _Ha. Ha. Tell him! Tell him! Tell him! Ha. Ha._

"You can talk to my fish?" His business rival threw his head back with a laugh and nodded encouragingly. "Go ahead. What are they saying Mr. Kaiba?"

 _This crazy motherfucker. I'm humoring him…._

"They're saying…you drug people's drinks, get them to sign bad deals, and you walk away the winner," Kaiba said bluntly, bending down and picking his briefcase up from the nearby table and began walking away. "Either way, you're blacklisted. Don't contact me or anyone from my company again."

The man swelled with rage but Kaiba barely noticed, because he was already halfway in the elevator, with the fish's triumphant laughter ringing in his ears.

 _Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Not today, Murder! Not today! Foiled by our savior, the Rude Man! The Rude Man! All hail the Rude Man! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha._

"All hail," Kaiba repeated dully, wondering if the fish could hear him, and he leaned against the back of the elevator railing, realizing he was drenched in cold sweat.

That had been a horrifyingly stressful ordeal. The fish chanting was the most unnerving and distressing thing he had ever experienced so far.

Being boiled alive in the shower was preferable to hearing their many voices over and over again in his head.

Shaking himself stiffly, Kaiba forced himself to remain composed. There were cameras in the elevators here. He would not crack, not here.

He still had one more hurdle to clear before throwing himself into Atem's arms at the end of the day.

The mysterious Marik Ishtar.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Mana tries to make contact but no one was on shore.  
Kaiba harnesses his fish powers and terrifies isono + random business rival  
Atem still nowhere to be seen but they're both so preoccupied, wonder when they'll start noticing they're missing each other?

Leave a review!

Please also enjoy this wonderful merman art done by Venom!

You can find more fanart for my stories on my blog tagged under [ uglifish dot tumblr dot com / tagged/fanartgallery]

edited by: setokaibaes/marshmallons

-Ugli


	19. Chapter 19

Atem sat on the floor of Mai and Anzu's grotto, doing his best to stay composed while he talked.

Both women listened intently, their expressions morphing from shock, disbelief, and then sorrow as he told them about his century-long ban from shore.

After he finished speaking, Atem took a deep shuddering breath and pressed his hands to his face while the two mermaids stared at him in silence.

"Well…its only a century." Mai ventured carefully, trying to be reassuring. "You can resurface and…see his children. Some human genes are amazing. They can give birth to identical twins—"

"Mai, that's not what he wants to hear right now." Anzu reprimanded softly, moving to sit beside Atem in her usual spot on the floor. "Feel better, okay? Don't worry. He'll remember you fondly. Did you tell him not to wait for you?"

Atem bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head miserably. "I told him I would be there every day. It's been four days now, almost five. I can't imagine what he must be thinking. He might think I betrayed him."

"But you told him _not to wait for you_ …right?" Mai asked again, sitting up straighter with a grim look on her face. "You told him he should live his life, right?"

Atem met her gaze glumly and shook his head, speaking with a heavy heart.

"During our last meeting, I told him angrily that he couldn't replace me, not with an object, and certainly not with another human."

Both mermaids gasped and groaned dramatically, pressing their hands to their foreheads, and Atem looked between them with rising panic.

"What?!" He cried defensively, "He's mine, so he should behave that way."

"Oh…Atem," Anzu whispered, her face beet red as she buried them in her hands again, muffling her voice. "If you say things like that, the human will die waiting for you."

"You can't talk to him like he's your Mate for life," Mai smiled sadly, shaking her head. "You do realize there's an entire ocean between you and him!"

"The only reason my court has an issue with it is because they want me to produce an heir." Atem said angrily, curling his fists. "What if I do produce an heir, and they'll let me do as I please?"

"I don't think your egg-bearer would be very happy with that." Anzu said knowingly. "Think about how you would feel if someone came by and asked if you would carry their egg while they swim off to play with a human on shore."

Atem folded his arms defiantly, hating that he felt disgruntled. "Well I wouldn't appreciate that. Egg-bearing is painful and hard work."

"Exactly." Mai said, nodding. "That would reflect badly on you as a Mate for the next few centuries as your hatching matures. Your hatchling would be made fun of too, for having a shore-loving father."

"Next topic." Atem said coldly, hating where the conversation was going. "I want to know how I can communicate with him while I'm down here. Can you help me? How do you send messages to humans? I sent Mana up with my earrings, but she's terrified of every journey."

The mermaids shared a sad look and Atem's heart sank quickly.

There was no way to communicate.

"Aside from sending…small gifts to and from shore, at the risk of all your friends who are willing to help you…" Anzu said tentatively, her eyes welling with tears of sympathy. "No, sadly. We haven't found a way. No one has. That's why some mermaids are confined here in groups. We all helped each other send messages."

"Yeah, better not let your girl get caught," Mai said solemnly, "or she'll be down here with us too, even if she's a member of your court. Guilty by association. She must really love you to want to help you though. You have a good friend."

"And I'm afraid you must leave soon," Anzu said tearfully, giving his hand a warm squeeze. "I've been keeping time."

"If you can send one last message, it should be this," Mai said seriously, looking Atem deep into his angular violet eyes. "' _Don't kill yourself, and don't die on the shore waiting for me'_. Honestly, that'll be the only way to ensure your human doesn't die a painful death. Other humans might find the body on the beach, and it's—"

"It's not pretty." Anzu said instantly, cutting across Mai, sounding rushed. "Read about Human Decay and aging. If you love him like a Mate, you'll understand after reading about it. Now you need to leave, or you'll start feeling sick."

Atem shook his head, his chest still bursting with more questions.

"Read the mer-editions, not the human books." Mai added, getting up from the couch and swimming lazily over to the kelp curtain and pulling it open. "Stop reading human books. They won't help you much if you're not a warrior."

Atem nodded solemnly and let Anzu gently push him out of the grotto entrance.

"Safe travels, my king." Anzu said quietly, managing a sad but friendly smile. "You're welcome back any time. Keep us informed."

Atem nodded again, his voice catching terribly in his throat with sorrow.  
He turned away and beat his tail to power upwards quickly, seeing the tiny dot of the palace guard waiting for him at the surface near the edge of the fissure.

Well perhaps it was a tiny blessing that Mana had not yet seen Seto Kaiba. There was more to add to the message, and Atem curled his fists at his sides in frustration.

There had to be another way to communicate with Seto Kaiba.  
There had to be. He would find it.

* * *

Kaiba gripped the steering wheel lightly and cruised down the freeway, growling in annoyance when he saw a cluster of cars in his way.

He grabbed the gear shift and the engine roared angrily at him as he slowed. Drifting quickly to the right, Kaiba changed lanes, and suddenly, a car zoomed by too fast from behind, passing him by on the right, almost hitting him.

There was a sharp _tack!_ and Kaiba glanced over at the door mirror, horrified to see that it had been taken off completely.

All that was left was a stub of metal and a couple of stray wires.

That _lunatic!_

Letting out a furious yell, Kaiba stamped his foot down on the pedal and weaved dangerously though the slow cars, intent on finding the car that had destroyed his door mirror.

He curled his fingertips tightly over the leather gear shift, cursing the other driver in his mind as he eyed a pair of red headlights in front of him. He sped up to weave around it and didn't see any damage on the side of their body.

Hissing angrily, Kaiba slowly down again, his heart pounding tightly in his chest when he realized he had probably lost the car forever, and one of his mirrors was probably littered on the side of the road a few miles back.

Livid, Kaiba gripped the wheel and eased the car off the freeway, ignoring the GPS telling him to continue, and parked in the first commercial lot that was available.

Slamming the door behind him as he got out, Kaiba circled his car methodically, checking it for other scratches and damages. There was a long black streak of paint missing from the entire door.

Kaiba bit back another angry yell. The paint was ruined. The mirror needed to be replaced, and the perpetrator was nowhere to be found.

Placing his palms down on either side of his car, Kaiba shut his eyes and breathed deeply. _Calm. Stay calm._ He could tell Atem all about this later. Maybe he could murder the guy and feed his intestines to some of Atem's shark friends, if he had any.

 _Calm. Stay calm._ _Oh god! I hit a someone's car! Oh god…what do I do? He looked like he had a lot of money! It was a hit-and-run because I didn't stop!_

Kaiba opened his eyes and grinned manically to himself.  
These mind-reading powers were good for something after all.

Straightening up slowly, Kaiba surveyed the area with a shrewd glare. This was a parking lot of a business building with a lone convenience store attached to the side.

A man was smoking on the corner, siting on the curb with his head in his hands, and cigarette ash was falling dangerously onto his shoulder while it hung from his shaking fingers.

 _Oh god. My wife is going to kill me. She's going to be so upset. She'll divorce me…._

 _Found you!_ Kaiba let his breath out in a slow hiss and stalked over to the man, towering over him from behind and resisting to give him a strong kick.

"Hey, lunatic!" Kaiba said angrily, seeing the man jump and turn to give him a terrified look over his shoulder. "What the fuck is in your head when you're driving?!"

The man dropped his cigarette in fear and fell to his knees in a frantic apology. "I'm sorry! I was on the phone! I wasn't paying attention! It was all my fault!"

"Yeah, it fucking is." Kaiba said furiously, pleased to see the man's forehead touch the ground, and he wanted to stamp his foot down on the back of the man's head, making sure it stayed there.

"I can…I'll pay it! I'm very sorry!" The man whimpered, tentatively lifting his head to peek and Kaiba's face before he ducked his head back down, the tips of his ears dark red.

 _Oh god. Oh god. OH GOD. IS THIS SETO KAIBA?! I'm screwed I'm screwed I'm screwed kill me now kill me kill me please…._

There was a soft jingle of the convenience store doorbell as the sliding doors opened, and Kaiba heard a stray thought _'a fight?!'_ before footsteps rushed forward, and a greying man dashed past him to help the man to his feet.

"What happened? Are you okay?" The old man cried, glancing frantically at Kaiba's angry stance and at his employee who was shaking his head, pushing him away and insisting he stay on the ground.

 _What is happening? Hayashi-san's friend perhaps? Young men these days sure like to fight…_

"He hit my car, and I'm going to kill him now." Kaiba raged, pleased to see the man sink willingly to his knees again, shaking his head miserably. "I can pay for the repairs myself, but I want you to know that you're a dead man."

 _I'm dead, I'm dead. I am dirt…_ The man chanted, gripping his knees tightly with his head bowed, and the old man gave Kaiba a look of disgust.

"Then leave him alone!" The old man cried, pointing at Kaiba's bright blue supercar in the lot. "And park in a spot, not in the middle of the road, then perhaps you won't be hit as often."

 _Ahhhh…we're both dead…thank god for this old man._

 _This is Seto Kaiba, I'm sure of it. There is nothing he can do to us. We're too poor for him to bother with. He'll leave us alone after I defend Hayashi-san. Poor fellow just wants to settle down and have a child…_

Kaiba gave them both nasty looks before he stalked off towards his car, still fuming.

This was his favorite car. It wasn't irreplaceable, but why did other people have to suck so much sometimes?

To his increasing annoyance, a motorbike was parked in the spot directly behind him, and it was blocking his way.

Another person to yell at.

Circling the car, Kaiba skidded to a halt when he saw a man with long white hair peering intrusively into his car, and his thoughts were very strange.

 _Looks like a wild animal attack._

"Get away from my car." Kaiba hissed through gritted teeth, thoroughly fed up with strangers for the day.

The man jumped and took several steps back, his violet eyes wide with surprise. "Ah…sorry about that. I was just passing by. I love cars…"

Numb with shock, Kaiba stared at the stranger, taking in his oddly flashy clothes, the slender pointed earrings hanging from his ears, and his tanned complexion.  
His skin was taut and youthful, and his eyes were almost the same shape as Atem's.  
Unmistakably so.  
Was this Marik Ishtar? He looked exactly like the photo online.

"Seto Kaiba, right?" The man said warmly, pointing casual finger guns at him with a soft smile. "Stopping by for a drink? This convenience store has the best homemade red bean…"

 _I can see why my dear sister is worried. This is a man with lots of money. The Problem Man of Japan hahaha… better get him away from here quickly, but I really want to know what happened inside his car. Was the King somehow forced in there? Impossible, right?_

"…Isn't that right, Mr. Kaiba?" Marik's smile did not waver as he looked expectantly Kaiba for an answer and received nothing but a blank look in response.

"What are you doing here?" Kaiba decided to retaliate with classic rudeness to throw him off, but the man seemed to take it with ease.

"Getting a drink! I thought I'd make it back in time to meet you in my office."

"So you're thinking about running away?" Kaiba said coldly, wishing Marik would step away from his car door so he could get in it and drive far away from here. "Move. I'll see you there."

 _Ah...good, thank god. He seems difficult._ Marik smiled warmly and walked back towards his motorcycle, lifting his helmet off the seat and patting it. "I'll lead the way. I'm not thirsty anymore."

 _Crap! I ran into him too early, and here I thought I'd have more time to prepare._

Kaiba rolled his eyes and yanked the car door open with more force than was necessary and ducked inside, shocked when he saw deep scratches all around his leather steering wheel.

What the...fuck?

Sweeping his gaze around the inside of the cabin, Kaiba also noticed several more scratches along the handle of the leather gear shifter, and underneath the knob…where he had been gripping it in anger.

So, this was the 'wild animal'.  
It did look like something had been let loose inside the cabin.

 _Did I do this?_ Kaiba thought faintly, glancing down at his nails and slightly disturbed to find that the tips of his nails had grown out into a fine point. How unsightly. He usually kept his fingers nicely manicured to maintain the perfect oval shape, and here, it looked like he had sprouted claws.

The motorcycle engine thundered steadily beside his window and there was a soft knock on the glass, coupled with a stray thought from Marik.

 _just sitting in his car…is he the one hiding? What's going on?_

Kaiba didn't answer, and he started his own engine in response, seeing the man beside him nod and steer his bike in front of his car, flashing his lights and indicating they should turn left.

Sighing, Kaiba flashed his lights too and slowly put the car into gear, unable to stem the odd painful churning inside his stomach.

This man had better have the answers he needed.

* * *

"Is that all?" Atem asked quietly, holding Mana's hands gently as she carefully recounted everything that had happened at the previous court meeting.

"Yes. Isis thinks Seto Kaiba will harm her brother. He won't, right?"

"He won't." Atem reassured her with a small smile. "He may seem threatening, but deep down, he is kind."

Mana nodded glumly and laid back onto the sponge bed with a soft thump.

"Atem…I'm so worried about you."

"Don't be, Mana." Atem said anxiously, shifting himself so that his tail draped comfortably over the edge. "I have more to add to the message to Seto Kaiba, so please bear with me a moment longer and make another trip to shore alone?"

Mana swallowed thinly and threw an arm over her eyes, nodding tightly. "There is no one on the small shore. After seeing it for myself, I'm not as scared. I thought there would be people."

"Good, good." Atem said, relieved, and he gave Mana's hand a tight squeeze. "And…I have another more…vulgar request."

Mana sat up slowly and blinked, feeling a sudden rush of nervousness. "What is it, my king?"

Atem hesitated for a moment before saying, "I think Solomon will lessen the length of my shore-banishment if I produced an heir. Sometime this century, preferably."

"Oh Atem…" Mana pressed her hands to her mouth, shaking her head with disbelief. "You can't possibly be thinking—"

"I'll do it, if it means I can see him again." Atem said with determination and a grim smile. "Do you perhaps have any friends who are willing to conceive an heir with me?"

Mana opened and closed her mouth, at a complete loss for words.

"You can't…rush into it!" Mana whispered, panic-stricken. "Your egg-bearer will want to be with you like a Mate. If anyone finds out you're doing this to lessen your sentence…oh Ahti, I don't know what people will think…or say! This is extreme, even for you, my king!"

"I'm going to try." Atem said with furious conviction. "If I do what the kingdom expects of me, I'll regain my freedom."

"At the cost of your egg-bearer's freedom!" Mana cried, shaking her beautiful head in disapproval. "You can't deceive your egg-bearer like that. You won't be able to conceive if your feelings aren't true."

"Oh, my feelings are true," Atem raged, now fully set on this plan. "My feelings are true for Seto Kaiba. I'll will an egg into existence if I have to."

Mana gazed at him for a long moment, looking extremely forlorn. "Oh my king…he really has fooled you."

Atem gave Mana an exasperated look and sighed. "No, Mana. I chose this myself."

Mana nodded stiffly, looking so distraught she didn't appear to be listening.

Atem sat with her in silence while his mind churned with schemes.

This was one thing he could try before he started breaking more extreme laws, like seeking out a Chrysalis.

That would be the last resort, because accessing a Chrysalis without permission was punishable by death.

* * *

"Please, sit." Marik gestured to the lone chair sitting opposite to a large desk, with nothing but a computer on it.

"No, I'll stand." Kaiba said coldly, sweeping his gaze around the sparse office and feeling a twinge of annoyance.

These merpeople were really good at faking credentials, so this probably wasn't even Marik's office. He probably wasn't even a professor, or a doctor. Just another puppet sent on land to deter him from finding out what he wanted to know.

"Well, you've got me here now." Marik said stiffly, folding his arms across his chest and looking incredibly serious. "I'm here to keep the peace."

"I don't want to fight or start any fucking wars," Kaiba fumed, his temper flaring automatically. "Where the fuck is that sample? I need it back. I sure as hell know it's not dolphin sperm _.._. _Doctor_."

Marik's expression darkened and he shook his head tightly. "I've disposed of it already."

Kaiba balled his hands into fists and took a threatening step closer to the desk, fuming. "Why you ignorant little—"

"Please, Kaiba, the sample you had was dangerous!" Marik said defensively, dropping the polite 'Mr.' from his name as his tone changed from warm to hostile. "I'll speak openly now since we are both aware of merpeople's existence."

"You weren't speaking openly before?" Kaiba growled, tired of all the lies and hoops this man was jumping through with his words. "Spit it out."

"Semen from a merman is incredibly dangerous," Marik said shakily, and Kaiba narrowed his eyes, hearing his thoughts overlapping with his speech.

"It's potent, and could possibly burn you…"

 _Not acidic like saliva, but the seed has parasitic qualities. Too dangerous. I hope Seto Kaiba didn't touch it with his bare hands._

Kaiba blinked, slowly growing numb. What? Was he hearing this man correctly?

"So please, stop seeking it out. Stop running tests on it, Mr. Kaiba," Marik finished, once again using the 'Mr.' in his name.

Marik gazed intently at Kaiba's blank expression, and his hair stood on end.

"You didn't hear anything I just said, did you?" Marik cried, rising to his feet and trying not to sound angry. "I said it's dangerous! Why are you ignoring me?"

"Are you human?" Kaiba asked quietly.

Marik blinked, folding his arms across his chest and answering the question with a haughty, "Yes. I am human."

"Is your sister human?" Kaiba pressed, not caring if this man knew he could hear thoughts. He needed answers, not to be run around in a circle. Why were these people popping up in his life when they were the ones insisting on being left alone?

"M-My sister?" Marik's eyes grew wide, and he broke out into a cold sweat. "I don't recall ever mentioning I had a sister."

"Lies on lies. Keep on lying. We're done here." Kaiba turned his heel and moved to the exit, thoroughly fed up with this man. "I have somewhere to be."

"You mean…the shore, to wait for the King?" Marik raised his eyebrows knowingly. "Don't bother. He won't be there today. Or ever."

"And how do you know that?" Kaiba asked testily, his hand already curled around the doorknob, and it briefly occurred to him that this man might have a way to communicate with Atem. How did they communicate anyway?

"I got a message." Marik answered simply, and Kaiba turned around slowly to gaze into the man's angular violent eyes, challenging him silently.

" _How_ did you get a message?" Kaiba breathed, wondering if he could somehow force the answer out of this man. "Got a fish phone?"

Blinking rapidly, Marik sat down quickly and shook his head, looking stressed. "I can't tell you."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes threateningly, but to his delight, the answer came by way of Marik's thoughts.

 _I doubt this Kaiba could get his hands on a stray Messenger._

Kaiba nodded slowly, understanding that he didn't need this man to speak the truth. He just needed to ask the right questions, and the truth would come out…in his thoughts.

The CEO hastily strode forward and took a seat in front of Marik's desk, smiling the most charming smile he could muster, deciding to change his tone.

"Tell me more about yourself. How is the university? How is the hospital? I assume you split your time between them both? You must be…" Kaiba kept the smile plastered on his face, "…so busy."

Startled, Marik was thrown by the sudden change in demeanor, but he obliged with an answer. "I lecture here part-time and the hospital is where I am permanently. Are we done here? You've got what you came for. The sample is gone, I'm sorry."

 _This man….! He is dangerous indeed! He's got two faces! What was that? A scene change? It couldn't have been any more obvious! What does he want?_

Pleased, Kaiba crossed his legs and made himself comfortable in the small chair, satisfied with his own handiwork.

"Are you…half-human?" Kaiba pressed, thinking there was no way this man was fully human. And who the fuck was his sister? Maybe she was a mermaid.

Marik's face fell, and he lowered his head quickly.

The silence grew heavy.

Unfazed, Kaiba just listened to Marik's thoughts, fully aware that this man was trying to make him feel uncomfortable.

 _How do I answer that? I can't tell him anything…or can I? Isis's instructions weren't specific. She was just worried about me…thinking he would hurt me, but he only seems curious, hence the all the lab tests.  
I'll stay quiet. He'll get the hint._

Kaiba bit back a laugh. He was learning so much already! Marik's sister's name was Isis, and he was withholding information on purpose.

"I can sit here all day, all night," Kaiba said airily, eying all the mythology books liming the bookshelves against the wall. "So much interesting reading material. I thought we were speaking openly?"

"We are." Marik said, and after visibly fighting with himself, he decided to tell the truth. "Very well. You are correct. I am half-human, born from a human mother who died shortly after giving birth to my sister, Isis."

"See? I knew you had a sister." Kaiba grinned boyishly, folding his hands over his knee and leaning forward with interest. "I appreciate the truth. What else? How do you live? What do you eat? Can you also hear fish bitching at you through the glass in their tanks?"

Marik's mouth fell open slightly, wondering how Kaiba knew so much about merpeople's abilities, and he had to remind himself that this was the man who had captured the King.

"I shouldn't be telling you anything else." Marik said coldly, gesturing at the door. "Your actions towards the mer-king were cruel, and you're unwelcome here."

"Oh, that?" Kaiba threw his head back and let out a bark of laughter. " _He_ swam into my net. I did him a favor and cleaned up all the floating garbage. Somehow, this is the payment I get. Stolen lab samples and a liar sitting in front of me."

"How dare you call me a liar!" Marik fumed, his dislike growing for Kaiba by the second. "I worked hard to carve a life for myself here in Japan. Not only am I looked down upon for being a foreigner, I grew up with no family on land to support me!"

"Boo fucking hoo, you and me both." Kaiba said plainly, waving a hand across his nose. "Do you exhibit any fish-like qualities?"

Marik shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his face growing redder and redder by the second, and Kaiba couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or rage because his thoughts were eerily silent.

"No, I fortunately don't," Marik answered after a long moment of struggling with himself. "I am completely human, and my sister got all the other…qualities."

"Interesting…so, how do I catch a stray messenger?" Kaiba asked quickly, and Marik was so thrown, his shock showed on every inch of his face.

"H-How do you know about that?" He gasped, and in his mind, he scrambled for a quick answer that would appease the CEO.

 _How does this man know so much? First about Isis, and next about Messengers! Did Atem tell him these things while in captivity? This meeting is over. I can't take any more. I've already confessed to discarding the parasitic semen._

"Right…" Kaiba nodded, slightly annoyed that he couldn't get an answer out of Marik. "That's fine. We can talk more about the parasites in the semen."

"It _behaves_ like a parasite….and only to humans! And g-get out of my office!" Marik spluttered, losing his composure steadily with each passing second. "Are you somehow reading my thoughts? How do you know so much? Never mind. Get out!"

"See, I'd know a bit more if you hadn't stolen my sample," Kaiba continued calmly, remaining in his seat with his arms and legs crossed. "Has it ever killed anyone? Parasites need something to—"

"It killed my mother," Marik said, standing shakily and pointing a finger at the door, his eyes slightly wet with unshed tears. "It latches inside the womb, and no human has ever survived birthing a merperson. That's why no one knows anything about it! Get…the fuck…out!"

" _I_ would know…if I had some semen to run tests on." Kaiba tilted his head to the left, slightly pleased with all the information he was learning. "How many cases do you know of?"

"Fine. If you won't leave…" Marik grabbed his bag and helmet in a frenzy and raced for the door, shaking from head to toe. "... _I_ will. Good day, Mr. Kaiba. May we never meet again."

"Hey! Come back here!" Kaiba cried, but he was already shouting at a door swinging wide open on its hinges.

Shocked, Kaiba registered that Marik was running away, and he leapt out of his seat to go after him.

Skidding to a halt in the long hallway, Kaiba leaned against the wall and shut his eyes, desperately listening for a thought that would tell him where Marik had went.

A faint roaring of a motorcycle starting in the distance was the answer he got.

 _Dammit!_ Kaiba growled angrily to himself, resisting the urge to punch the nearest wall. He could hear faint thoughts from someone coming down the hall, so he hastily turned and went back the way he came, intent on taking an elevator the parking garage to make his hasty exit.

He could corner Marik Ishtar on another day when he needed something else from him. For now, this was fine.

He knew what this man looked like, where this man worked, and his full name.

Kaiba picked up a brisk pace, eager to leave.  
Now, time to rush back to the beach and wait for Atem to show his face.

It was already well past sunset. Hopefully the merman was still there.

If not, there was always tomorrow.

* * *

Mana popped her head above the water and took a deep breath of fresh salty air. She scanned the beach quickly and she let out a sigh of relief when she saw no one.

Swimming forward with her head still above water, she eyed the beach longingly. Oh how she wished to lay down on the soft sand and watch the sun set…! It had been so many years since she had done so. After having been spotted by a couple of drunk party people on another shore, Mana had lost the confidence to sun herself on any beach.

Since Atem said this was Kaiba's private rock, perhaps it was okay to sit for a while.

Holding her breath, Mana mustered up all her courage and waited for a large wave to roll overhead before she swam powerfully upwards, letting it wash her gently to shore.

Rolling over onto her back in the sand, Mana squealed happily and fanned her tail against another oncoming foamy wave. Oh, this was so nice!

She stretched out to relax, and daringly placed her cheek down on the sand, breathing deeply.

Fresh air...clean sand…peace and quiet….

Mana was beginning to understand why the other mermaids enjoyed moon bathing so much.

But going with a group at the salon was always an expensive endeavor…perhaps she could convince the court to let Atem moon bathe with her.

The soft pattering of footsteps sounded from afar, and Mana perked her ears up frantically. She bolted upright into a sitting position and let out a frightened squeak when she saw a small child running towards her at full speed.

He had pale skin, angular eyes and unusually long black hair.

Frozen to the spot with fear, Mana was unable to find the strength to push off the beach. The waves were somehow getting farther away…and the child was getting closer.

Mokuba skidded to a halt and almost tripped over his own feet in the sand when he realized Atem had somehow magically evolved into a beautiful woman with flowing brown hair and bright blue eyes.

"M-Mermaid? Why are you a girl?" Mokuba cried, throwing his hand over his eyes when he realized her breasts were not covered. "Oh my god, put on some clothes! Are you doing this for Seto? Ew, gross!"

Mana's eyelid twitched in annoyance at the child's tone, so she didn't move or reply.  
Clothes?! What an offensive suggestion!  
And why was the child acting as she was ugly to look upon?  
Was this Seto Kaiba's child?

"Go away!" Mana cried, placing a protective hand over the seaweed pouch which contained Atem's earrings, and she eyed an oncoming wave behind her. "I'm leaving. You never saw me!"

Mokuba cracked an eye open and dared to lower his arm slightly, peeking at her. "Wait! Wait...Seto will be here soon!"

"I don't want to see you, or him!" Mana cried, regretting her shore visit deeply now, and she turned to claw her way back to the receding tide, not caring how undignified she looked. The longer she sat exposed, the more danger she was in.

Mokuba lowered his arm fully and watched the mermaid try to catch a wave back into deeper waters, but had timed the dive badly, and ended up rolling sideways across the sand, her deep violet tail skidding heavily behind her.

Wow. The boy mermaid was usually better at that. Was this really not him?

Mana heard Mokuba's thoughts but was too terror-stricken to care. He could call her a boy-mermaid all he wanted.  
Finally after a second attempt, she managed to catch a larger wave and roll off the beach into deeper waters, her heart pounding painfully with relief.

"But…wait…" Mokuba breathed, feeling his chest tighten strangely at the sudden encounter. "Seto will cry if you don't…stay…."

Mana swam away and hid behind the rock for safety, pressing a hand to her chest and trying to calm down. Cry? The human would cry? Was that really so?

Because what she had seen was Atem doing all the crying, and it was getting quite worrisome. Was the human crying too?

"Mermaid?!" Mokuba called shrilly, grabbing onto the rock and climbing it with difficulty because it was slippery and wet. "Mermaid! I'm sorry! Please come back!"

 _Crap, Seto's gonna kill me for that_. Mokuba thought grumpily, plopping himself down on the rock, cross-legged.

 _Kill?!_ Mana thought, horrified. That was a figure of speech, right? But...just in case it wasn't….

Mokuba heard a splash below by the edge of the rock. He quickly got on his hands and knees and peered curiously over the edge, seeing a stream of bubbles getting larger and larger before the beautiful girl with round eyes appeared again, but this time, keeping her lower body hidden.

"Oh good…you're gonna stay," Mokuba said warmly, feeling his palms slip dangerously forward on the wet surface of the rock. "What's your name? You're not him, right?"

"No, I am not." Mana replied coldly, wondering how stupid human children could be. "I am fully a girl. I am not a boy-mermaid."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Mokuba said, grinning sheepishly and giving his black hair an embarrassed ruffle. "I'll wait with you here until he comes."

Mana contemplated that for a moment and decided that her heart couldn't take meeting another human, and especially not the one who had captured Atem in the first place and forced him to mate.

"No need. You'll pass the message on for me, little boy." Mana said shakily, and to her surprise, the child glared angrily at her.

"I'm old! I'm thirteen you know! That's practically a teenager. Screw you, Mermaid. _You're_ little."

Mana's mouth dropped open with shock at the sudden rudeness and she contemplated arguing back, but she decided to take the higher road.

Atem's task for her was far more important than arguing with a child.

"Then, take this…. you old man." Mana said coolly, untying the seaweed pouch from her waist and holding it up for him.

The child eyed the bag suspiciously and folded his arms stubbornly across his chest. "What's that? Killer shrimp? No thanks."

"Killer what?" Mana's eyes widened with confusion and she wondered if the boy was joking. "These are for you! And the message is—"

"You mean, it's for Seto." Mokuba corrected brattily, and he reached down to snatch the seaweed pouch from her beautifully manicured fingers. "Thanks. He says thanks."

"Listen to the message, child, and repeat it to him! Do you understand?" Mana cried, beginning to slowly lose her patience. "Repeat it after me—"

"Repeat it after me, child, I do understand." Mokuba said dully, rolling his eyes and hanging the wet pouch around his neck. "Okay, what is it?"

"You are insufferable." Mana said, unable to help herself, and to her rising surprise, the child laughed heartily.

"Thanks, and…you're…pretty." Mokuba grinned widely, and Mana's voice died in her throat.

This is grossly inappropriate.  
Atem's message!

"The message is very serious, so remember it word for every word." Mana said with finality, and the boy nodded carelessly, still smiling stupidly down at her. "' _My duties no longer include visits to shore, so I will not be seeing you anymore, Seto Kaiba. I love you dearly, but please know that_ —"

"Ew, I'm not gonna say that," Mokuba said, interrupting her for the millionth time, and Mana lost her patience.

" _'I love you dearly'_ , you must say it! He needs to hear every word of it!" she cried, her voice echoing thinly up and down the empty beach, and Mokuba held his hands up defensively, looking slightly disturbed.

"Okay, okay, geez Mermaid, calm down. _I love you dearly and my duties no longer include visits to shore_!"

"Good, and… ' _My punishment is a shore-long ban for a century, so please do not wait for me. Do not waste your own life waiting for me. Do not take your life when I don't appear. Please do these things for me if you truly understand_.'"

Mokuba sat back on his heels, the air slowly leaving his lungs with shock.  
What the fuck was this? Breaking up?  
So the other mermaid was too chicken to break up with Seto in person, and he had to send a random _girl_ to do it for him?!

"What nonsense are you thinking about? Recite it back to me now." Mana insisted, and she heard an odd splash coming from behind. Suddenly, a warm hand wrapped around her fin and Mana squeaked in surprise when an unfamiliar voice floated through her mind.

 _"My dearest Lady. I'm a palace guard who has been sent to follow you, and I advise that you leave the child alone now. I report back to Mahad on all shore-related happenings as a secondary source…and I will wait for you at a safe distance."_

"Something bite you?" Mokuba tilted his head curiously, and the mermaid shook her head furiously, her cheeks dark pink.

"Goodbye child. I need to go now. Remember it all, every word, do you hear?"

"Y-Yeah ok, I got it." Mokuba said uncertainly, and he watched her sink down beneath an oncoming wave that crashed against the side of the rock.

On a second thought, Mokuba rose to his feet and shouted over the water, "My name is Mokuba by the way! I'm not Seto, just letting you know you got the message to the wrong person!"

 _Got it! I understand!_ Mana thought back furiously, swimming away from the rock at breakneck speed, seeing the dark shadow of the Stealthsman waiting for her in deeper waters.

She dove straight down towards him, filled with relief and gratitude towards Mahad for sending a guard after her. That child had been one of the strangest encounters with humans she'd ever had.

Clasping her hands together quickly, she said a small prayer, hoping that she had done her job well enough to help ease Atem's pain.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Message: delivered  
Tears: shed?  
Atem: sad/angry  
Kaiba: angry/preoccupied  
Marik: appeared mysteriously  
Mokuba: bratty as fuck

thank you for reading! please let me know what you think in a comment below!

please come connect with me on twitter! im hello_ugli!

hugs,  
Ugli


	20. Chapter 20

Kaiba raced down the sandy boardwalk towards the beach, breathless with anticipation.

Mokuba had notified him of Atem's appearance ten minutes ago, and he had sped dangerously on the road to get to the beach in five.

"Seto!" Mokuba turned to wave his arms at his older brother who was taking leaping strides over the sand. "Don't bother! She left!"

Kaiba reached the rock and leaned against it tiredly, heaving, out of breath. "She?!"

Mokuba nodded anxiously, unsure of how to begin delivering the message without hurting Seto's feelings.

"Spit it out, kid," Kaiba panted, finally catching his breath, and he straightened up to look Mokuba in the eye, wondering why his brother was sitting so oddly on the wet rock.

"Get down from there before you hurt yourself."

"Okay, but you have to listen to the message really closely, cuz I'm delivering it word for word," Mokuba said, watching Seto's reaction carefully for any changes.

"Yes, I'm listening," Kaiba said testily, folding his arms across his chest in annoyance. Atem couldn't come tell him something face-to-face, and had to send a messenger?

"But first, you have to know that she was super pretty," Mokuba said, blushing so hard, the tips of his ears turned pink. "And-And she wasn't wearing a top, Seto! She was _naked!_ I saw her boobs! They were huge! They were like, this big—"

 _…like bigger than my face! And…_

"Mokuba…" Kaiba sighed, pressing a palm to his forehead and feeling a laugh coming reluctantly up his chest, but his younger brother continued to rant excitedly.

"Oh man, she was way prettier than the boy mermaid! She was wearing shells in her hair, and her eyes were blue, and her hair was brown, and her hands were—"

"Mokuba!" Kaiba raised his voice and felt the corners of his mouth tugging upwards. "What did she say?"

"That…he's breaking up with you like a chicken, and he couldn't come say it to your face." Mokuba grumbled, completely disregarding the mermaid's request to recite the message word for word.

"What?!" Kaiba narrowed his eyes at his younger brother shrewdly. "Come on, kid. She really said, 'like a chicken'?"

"No, I added that part," Mokuba said nervously. "Oh, here!"

He lifted the seaweed pouch off his neck and handed it to his older brother who accepted it oddly with both hands.

"Uh...-Ah… _'this is for you…_ '" Mokuba began, seeing Seto's eyes widen, and he changed his mind. "That's it. That's all she said."

Shaking his head in exasperation, Kaiba loosened the pouch, and two golden wing-shaped earrings landed in his open palm.

The blue gems sparkled warmly back at him in the setting sun, and Kaiba stared at them in disbelief, wondering why Atem had such a magnificent change of heart, suddenly deciding to gift him with…his most prized possession?

The merman had said these were his mother's earrings if he recalled correctly….

"What's the message?" Kaiba asked tensely, curling his fingers over the gold jewelry while his heart sank rapidly to his feet. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Fine…fine," Mokuba grumbled, and he took a moment to compose himself before he recounted the entire meeting in one giant breath.

" _Listen to the message, child, and repeat it to him. Do you understand?_ She said that to make sure I was listening, and then I said 'okay', so she said: _my duties no longer include visits to shore, so I will not be seeing you anymore, Seto Kaiba. I love you dearly_."

Kaiba stared at Mokuba, an odd ringing filling his ears.

"Um…there's more…but it's stupid," Mokuba said lamely, sliding off the rock and attempting to make an escape, but his brother caught him by the arm and held him firmly in place.

It was a bad idea to tell Seto all of it.

"Tell me all of it," Kaiba said, his face eerily blank and his voice devoid of emotion. "That's not all of it. I know there's more."

"Ugh, fine." Mokuba rolled his eyes and continued reciting from memory. " _My punishment is a shore-long ban for a century, so please do not wait for me. Do not waste your own life waiting for me. Do not take your life when I don't appear. Please do these things for me if you truly understand._ THE END. He's breaking up with you and making excuses, blah blah. Can I go now?"

Mokuba gazed up at his older brother, noticing that his eyes had gone glassy and his grip had loosened. Twisting away, he ran back towards the house, not wanting to see Seto cry on the beach again.

He had already seen Seto cry one other time, and it was hard to watch.

That merman was evil.

Kaiba found himself in a sitting position in the sand, and Mokuba's dull voice carrying Atem's message kept echoing terribly through his head.

" _My punishment is a shore-long ban for a century… Please do not wait for me. Do not waste your own life waiting for me. Do not take your life when I don't appear."_

Atem had somehow gotten in trouble and was banned from shore?

For a century.

A _century._

A hundred years.

A hundred fucking years!

 _How long do merpeople live?_ Kaiba reeled, gripping his head in his hand and wondering if this was all an elaborate prank being played on him by a cruel god.

Was Atem really gone forever? No. That was an unreasonable thought. He was only gone for this century.

 _If I can somehow reach him before then…_ Kaiba thought as he rose to his feet in a strange trance and began wading towards the water, his eyes burning with unshed tears of anger and frustration.

This was horrible and unfair. They didn't even get to say a proper goodbye. Instead, the message had been delivered by a random mermaid.

Mokuba stood by the window, watching Seto wade robotically into an oncoming wave, and he froze, growing cold all over. What the heck was Seto doing?!

Kaiba let a large wave swallow him from the chest up, and he grit his teeth, slightly relieved the water was hot.

Maybe, his fish powers would include breathing underwater. No time like the present to try it out.

"Seto!" Mokuba cried, banging his fist on the window. He dashed out of the house, his chest tight with fear. "Seto! Stop! What're you doing?!"

Kaiba heard Mokuba's frantic shouts and thoughts, but he ignored them, steadily wading deeper into the ocean until he no longer felt sand beneath his toes.

Bobbing up and down against the waves, Kaiba took a deep breath and dove downwards, daring to keep his eyes open. He couldn't see anything. It was completely dark.

He stayed beneath the surface, fighting every wave that tried to wash him to shore, and he popped his head up again, hearing Mokuba's frantic thoughts.

 _Oh my god! Seto is gonna kill himself! The message was literally 'don't kill yourself'! And he's doing it right now!_

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba dove beneath the water again, going deeper this time, and Mokuba's thoughts grew fainter and fainter as he went.

 _…and the water is cold! Is he gonna be okay? I'll call Isono…._

Kaiba held his breath for as long as he could, feeling his lungs bursting for air the longer he stayed underwater, but he stubbornly held out, slowly letting a stream of air leave his lips.

Now there was truly no air left inside of him.  
He had exhaled it, and the only other option was to take a gulp of water or rise to the surface for air.

Kaiba daringly inhaled through his nose, and a terrible stinging invaded his nostrils.

Clawing his way upwards, he coughed and sputtered while the salt water stung his eyes.  
Great.  
Theory disproved. He could not breathe underwater, nor was he a better swimmer.

"Seto! Please come back!" Mokuba cried worriedly, waving his arms wildly while jumping up and down. "It's too cold!"

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba tread his way over several waves back into shallow waters, his heart heavy with disappointment.

There _was_ a way to reach Atem. He just hadn't figured it out yet.

* * *

Mana gently pushed Atem's door open and floated inside without an invitation.

The king was sitting on his bed, surrounded by stacks of books. It was an odd sight to see.

"Atem…" Mana ventured, quickly closing the door behind herself and leaning against it for support. "I-I did it. I delivered your message."

Atem jerked his head up and dropped the book. He swam over to her and pulled her into a grateful embrace.

"Thank you, Mana. Did he say anything in return?" Atem asked keenly, his heart leaping wonderfully at the thought of a message from Seto Kaiba, but to his dismay, Mana shook her head tightly.

"I spoke to a small child for a few moments until a Stealthsman grabbed my fin and told me to get away from him."

Atem blinked, slowly digesting this information.  
Mana had not spoken to Seto Kaiba, but to Mokuba Kaiba, and knowing that child, he probably wasn't very helpful.

"He really wasn't!" Mana agreed vehemently, hearing Atem's passing thought. "I gave him the earrings, and he called me pretty, but only after acting as if I was ugly! How dare he!"

Atem managed a small smile, his heart still pounding painfully in his chest with sorrow. "That is how he behaves all the time. He means well."

Mana nodded and lowered her head apologetically. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to get my message to the right person. Shore travels are being monitored now, more strictly than ever since your…accident."

"I understand," Atem said hollowly, eyeing the books stacked atop his bed hatefully. "Thank you for sending my message, Mana. Let's not speak of this anymore. This could get you into trouble."

Mana bowed prettily and floated towards the door, giving Atem a curious glance over her shoulder. "This human…Seto Kaiba. You must really love him. Does he look anything like the child I saw?"

Atem shook his head quickly and jumping excitedly at the chance to talk about Seto. "No. In fact, he's got brown hair…and blue eyes. The most beautiful blue eyes—"

"I have brown hair and blue eyes," Mana said stiffly, tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder sassily. "Just seek a merperson with brown hair and blue eyes! Those are very common traits, Atem."

"It's not just his appearance, Mana." Atem said impatiently, realizing that it was futile to discuss this further with her because the mermaids in Confinement were the only ones who truly understood.

"Well, if I ever see him again on my next shore visit in a few years, I'll let you know how he's doing." Mana said warmly, hoping this would appease Atem, "Mahad kindly arranged for me to only have to surface once every five years...or until I can find a merman who will willingly take my place."

Atem nodded silently and politely watched her exit his chambers before he threw himself back down on his bed and glared angrily at all the books he had hauled into his room.

He couldn't help but feel angry. Angry that Mana had not delivered the message to Seto Kaiba and was no longer able to make shore visits without supervision.

Picking up a book about mating, Atem settled himself down on his bed again and continued reading.

 _"Mating between a human and a merperson is a banned practice. Humans reporting sightings of merpeople risk endangering entire colonies given the rise of human technology…"_

Atem sighed loudly and resisted the urge to slam the book shut. Boring. _  
_Nothing new here other than the biased ramblings of the Scholar who wrote this.  
Mai was correct when she said reading mer-editions of books would help. He was learning about the ingrained prejudices merpeople held against humans.

Sighing again, Atem forced himself to continue reading. There had to be something useful in here.

 _"…There are only a few reported cases of mermen impregnating human women, and all have died during the birthing process. Therefore, the Council concluded that this act was Cruelty Against Humans, and issued a decree to ban mer-human mating in the following century. Mermen were no longer allowed to surface in order to seek human women."_

 _Oh._ Atem thought darkly, his interest piqued, and he turned the page.

 _"This led to a rebellion, which was quickly contained by King Ramses II, but this gave rise to a new problem. Mermaidens realized this rule did not apply to them, and many maidens began traveling to shore to seek the thrills of human sex with a man (or another woman, see footnote, Lesbianism*) …"_

 _What is this?!_ Atem leaned away from the book, slightly perturbed. Humans had a name for female love? How strange.

 _"In Era 18, there was only one reported case of a merman seeking love with a male human, and unfortunately, the human he had mated with suffered Deep Internal wounds and died in the following years."_

 _But Kaiba is fine, and that never happened to me!_ Atem thought, his panic rising as he began to skim and skip a few words in a desperate bid for information.

 _"…Several Scholars and Medics were sent on shore, undercover, to determine the unnamed male human's cause of death (see footnote, Internal Bleeding*) coupled with a weakened immune system._

 _Merman semen is dangerous to humans because it contains parasitic-like properties, and the human, after having willingly ingested some from his mer-mate, died painfully from an intestinal rupture._

 _Now, there is a decree in_ _ **Book IITzolk, on Shelf Q'ij**_ _, issued by King Senwroset, stating that any merperson caught mating with a human should receive punishment as severe as any Merderer. (Confinement for 150 centuries, and no Sun-Time.)_

 _These studies show that MerMating with humans causes painful human death, so it has been explicitly banned across the entire ocean."_

Atem slammed the book shut, breathing heavily and willing himself to remain composed. That had been too much bad information all at once, with only one good bit of news.  
He had somehow avoided the 150-century punishment in Confinement, with a mere slap on the wrist.  
One century and supervised Sun-time every decade.

But all the stuff written about intestinal rupturing was incorrect. Seto Kaiba was fine, and he was fine every time they had met.

Shoving the book aside with a huff, Atem decided that the book was biased and mostly wrong.

Time to read something else.

He reached for the next book at the top of the stack and bit back a tired sigh.

"Humans and their Pets."

This ought to be interesting.

* * *

Kaiba paced his office, intently blocking out his secretary's thoughts while he raged internally.

The game had changed completely. If Atem's message was to be taken seriously, he really wasn't going to see him again…ever.

Unless there was a way to become immortal.

Did the scales provide that? Doubtful, because it seemed they only healed wounds and caused terrible nausea as a side-effect.

 _Well, I have the rats, I can test it on them,_ Kaiba thought wearily, already hating the idea. He needed solid results. On another human preferably, but that was never going to happen.

 _Oh, I'm so worried for Tsukiya-kun…. He couldn't sleep last night either, and now I'm tired…._

Growling, Kaiba shut her out and continued to pace.

He couldn't physically go down there with a submarine because Atem lived at a depth that no man-made machine could withstand. Every single one of his own actions moving forward from now on, had to be a bid for more information, to get closer to Atem.

Another possible way was to find the mysterious Chrysalis, and somehow harness its powers.

He could convince Atem to dive into it and come out with legs. Or, he could dive into it himself, and come out with a …tail?

Kaiba shook the horrifying thought out of his mind and clenched his fists.  
Finding the elusive Chrysalis was the last resort.  
Communicating with Atem should the first obstacle.

 _Oh no. He keeps texting me, asking if Mr. Kaiba is treating me badly because of it. No, no he isn't. Please don't worry my dear…_

Kaiba paused mid-step and wondered what the fuck she was thinking about. His name had come up, coupled with the words "treating me badly", and Kaiba had made it his private mission to never hear those words from her ever again.

He held his breath, waiting for another thought to come floating by, and sure enough, one did.

 _No, I don't know how much the car is worth! And no, I'm not going to ask him! Asking him will only draw attention to the situation. He made eye contact with me this morning, which was a good sign!_

Kaiba stood by the door, listening to his heart pounding thickly in his ears.  
Car? Was she talking to the man who had hit his car the other day?!  
What a small and funny world.

Yanking the door open, Kaiba strode towards her desk and watched her jump to her feet with a wide-eyed expression.

"Heading out, Mr. Kaiba?" she asked tentatively with a small smile, and Kaiba leaned casually against the front counter, returning her smile with effort.

"No, but I do have a question about your future husband," he said, watching the color slowly leave her face as he spoke. "He's the one who hit my car, isn't he?"

She shook her head vehemently and bowed deeply, apologizing so fast, Kaiba could barely understand her speaking, so he decided to listen to her thoughts instead, which were also screaming incoherently.

 _Oh CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP! IT'S LIKE HE'S A MIND READER! I JUST HUNG UP WITH TSUKIYA ABOUT IT, AND NOW HE WALKS OUT HERE TALKING ABOUT IT…but he doesn't look angry, thank god. I'll just stay in this position, bowed, and keep apologizing until he walks away like usual._

"And I have a completely unrelated question," Kaiba continued, speaking instantly when he heard a gap in her apologetic rant. "Do you know anything about mermaids?"

 _What?!_

"I-I'm sorry...wh-what?" she stammered, completely taken aback by the subject change.

"Mermaids," Kaiba said impatiently, drumming his fingers against the marble countertop protruding above her desk. "Mythology."

"O-Oh…I…" she paused for a moment, thinking.

 _What on earth?! So it's not about the car, but about mermaids?! He came by to talk about the car as a CONVERSATION STARTER ABOUT MERMAIDS?! What is wrong with this guy? Ouugh no, concentrate and answer his question!_

"I love mermaids," she gushed with a warm smile, sitting down quickly and gazing politely up at him. "I was obsessed with them as a little girl, and…all throughout high school, embarrassingly enough. I even took classes related to Greek and literature in order to read about them."

"Well, thank fuck," Kaiba said, pleased to discover that she might be more helpful than the suspicious and twitchy Marik Ishtar. "Tell me everything. And I mean, literally…everything. Even the shit that people think is made-up."

She blinked rapidly and nodded, taking a moment to compose herself.

"I think the most fascinating thing about mermaids is the fact that they're immortal," she said happily, fanning some paperwork across her desk with ease and beginning to sort them. "They're so wise and beautiful."

Kaiba stared at her, waiting for her to continue, but she appeared to have finished speaking. Even her thoughts were quiet.

"What else?" Kaiba pressed, eager to hear more. "Do they live in, say, colonies or cities?"

She laughed a tinkling laugh and threw him a strange look. "Well, I suppose! They would live like any other intelligent life form! Have you read the stories of Atlantis? Maybe they live like that and have giant machines doing all the work for them!"

"I've heard of Atlantis, but I'm talking about people with fins and fishtails," Kaiba said stiffly, hating how she was treating this as friendly banter. "What's a popular myth about mermaids?"

"That they hate humans, or that merfolk and humans can't coexist," she replied instantly, sounding oddly bossy. "Many stories I've read only highlight the struggles of one side, wanting to merge, but hating the other side. They always strive for harmony."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. Yeah, that much was true, at least based on what Atem told him.

"Well, what about mermen?" Kaiba asked steadily, watching her face for a reaction, and she grinned happily at him, her eyes sparkling with interest.

"Oh! Yes! Have you seen the movie Aquaman?"

"What." Kaiba narrowed his eyes, hating the name. "The aquatic man."

"The superhero." She nodded, shuffling the papers again, and Kaiba realized with a jolt that she was organizing them...for him. "It was a strange movie where people with fins rode on sharks. I thought it was odd because in their universe, the mermen could swim faster than a shark, so why ride one when—"

"Yeah, I don't want to hear about the movie," Kaiba interrupted, trying his best to sound less rude and more conversational. "I want to know what you know about mer…people."

"Want to look through my old class notes?" She asked nonchalantly, passing him the stack of paperwork with a smile. "I still have them because I couldn't bear to throw my hard work away. I'll bring them for you tomorrow. You sound very interested in mythology, Mr. Kaiba!"

 _Mermaids in particular. Do straight men have this much interest in mermaids? I don't know….oh! Gosh! Right, he was having that crisis about being gay the last time I was in his office! OoooOoOooomYyyYYgodddddddddd HE'S GAY! I FORGOT TO MENTION IT TO TSUKIYA_

"This conversation is over." Kaiba said coldly after hearing her thoughts, and he stalked back into his office, trying not to feel offended.

"Wh—I didn't…Did I say something offensive, Mr. Kaiba?!" She cried, shaking her head in exasperation when she was ignored again.

 _Eccentric! That's the word I'd use for him,_ she thought grumpily to herself, and inside his office, Kaiba ground his teeth together tightly, deciding he had had enough conversations with another person for today.

Time to set a filter to notify him of the words 'mermaid' and 'merman' being mentioned anywhere in the world, and have it ping on all his devices.

* * *

Atem swam slowly through the palace halls, desperately trying to find the hallway that led to the Pillars of Time.

He needed a way to keep track of time on shore if he was no longer making shore visits, and since he was trapped inside the palace for a century, there was nothing else to do other than explore.

He had read about this room in the books, and had learned that this was how merpeople kept track of All time.

What he needed to do now was talk to a Keeper…whoever that was.

According to the texts, the Keeper was stationed inside the Pillar Room to help any passing merperson find the answers they were looking for, so Atem was feeling slightly optimistic.

He passed several dark hallways and took one at random.

There was a slight ascent, and musty smell. Turning around quickly, Atem went back the way he came.  
That was the wrong way.  
The Pillars should not have a stench.

He made a sharp turn and chose to swim down the hallway right beside it.

To his surprise, he heard voices echoing from the end, and he hurried towards them, realizing it was the sound of two mermaids gossiping happily.

 _"…And he just stared at me like he had lost his tongue!"_

 _"Oh my! How wonderful! You've got his heart for sure!"_

Atem hovered awkwardly at a distance, eyeing the pillars on either side of the entrance to the darkness. Bits of shattered glass and shells had been molded into the stone, giving the pillar a beautiful eerie glow every time he caught his reflection in the shards of mirror.

"Oh! My king!" One of the women gasped, noticing him at last and swimming towards him with a basket heavy with something alive inside of it. "Excuse us. We didn't see or hear you there."

"King Atem! We're blessed to have you in our presence," the other mermaid bowed prettily, blushing. "May we help you? Or are you just passing by?"

"Actually, yes, I could use a bit of help," Atem ventured, gazing over the ladies' shoulders and feeling his skin crawl at the dark, ominous hole behind them. It was flanked by more pillars that were decorated with stray fish bones and pieces of human glass.

"Tell us! We will help," the mermaid holding the basket urged, and she passed it over to her companion slowly. "Please take this. It's getting quite heavy."

Atem reached for the basket instinctively and lifted it out of her hands, feeling the weight sag in his arms, and he smiled warmly. "For your troubles, I will carry this for you. Please tell me where I can find the Pillars of Time."

The women giggled and tilted their heads curiously at him, pointing over their shoulders at the blackened hole behind them. "We were on our way there to gift Her with food."

"I see," Atem said nervously, feeling the thing in the basket wriggle suddenly and thrash weakly at the sides. "I will bring it in there if you don't mind. I would like to learn more about the Keeper."

"Oh praise Suijin!" the other mermaid cried happily, pressing a hand to her chest and grabbing her friend by the arm. "I'm always too scared to go in there by myself. Thank you, Atem. You are so brave!"

"Indeed, you are," the first mermaid echoed, and the women bade him goodbye with friendly waves, swimming away to much haste while whispering fervidly to each other.

Frowning suspiciously, Atem heaved the basket onto his shoulder and swam boldly into the darkness, unfazed.

Blinking rapidly, Atem sharpened his senses as he pushed through the water. The glassy pillars were getting taller and longer around him, and the hallway began to widen.

The basket was getting heavier and heavier in his arms, and Atem paused to gather himself, realizing he was floating in the middle of the enormous amphitheater.

Towering pillars were arranged around him in a solid circle in the darkness, and the quiet was deafening.

"Keeper?" Atem called, shifting the basket to his other shoulder. "I come bearing food."

He was met with silence. Not even a stray thought of thanks or acknowledgement.

Sighing, Atem dove downwards and set the basket on the stone floor, seeing a stray braided rope of kelp looped around the base of one of the pillars. He grabbed it and tied it over the basket, quickly securing it to the pillar.

A thick white octopus tentacle came snaking out of the darkness from behind the pillar instantly, and Atem watched with rising horror as it stabbed through the basket, shattering the woven shell and releasing the fish trapped inside.

More white curling arms emerged from behind each of the pillars, grabbing viciously at the fish that made frantic bids to swim away, and Atem swallowed thinly, backing away slowly as each fish was caught with terrifying precision and reeled into the darkness, emitting tiny cries of fear before they were devoured.

Each suction cup on the octopus's arms was larger than his face; larger anything Atem had ever seen, and he instantly understood why the mermaids were so frightened.  
The Keeper was a terrifying, monstrous white cephalopod.  
The book had neglected to mention that.  
What species grew this large?!

Deciding not to stay, Atem kicked off the stone floor and powered rapidly upwards, eager to get away, but to his surprise, something caught the base of his tail and gave him a solid yank back down.

Letting out a panicked yell, Atem found himself being dragged past several pillars and towards a large, pulsating circular beak, lined with rows and rows of sharp teeth.

"Put me down at once! I am your king!" Atem shouted, thoroughly terrified at the thought of being eaten and never being able to see Kaiba again. "I've come to seek your help!"

 _You are not my king! You're an ignorant child!_ She shrieked in his mind, giving him a vicious shake while he hung upside down helplessly in her grasp. _SSsSSstay away from my eggs, merman!_

 _Eggs?!_ Atem thought frantically, glancing around and biting back a gasp when he saw a large patch of milky-white eggs sitting in the cracks behind the pillar nearest to them.

"I'm not here for your eggs," Atem said calmly, intent on not letting his fear show through, but his heart was leaping wildly inside his chest. "I need to keep time. Place a marker for me…please."

The white tentacle did not uncurl from the base of his tail and her disgruntled voice echoed in his mind once more.

 _Whhhere? And whhhich calendar, merman?_

"The…" Atem frowned and scrambled to remember. "The Gregorian Calendar which humans live by. Please put me down."

 _BECAUSE YOU WANT TO STEAL MY EGGS!_ She screamed, her tentacle tightening painfully around the base of his tail, almost cutting off circulation to his lower fins.

"What could I possibly want with your eggs?!" Atem demanded, wondering why this octopus was so resentful. "Place a marker for me on today's date. I want a reminder for every passing year for the next century."

 _SILENCE!_ She hissed, dragging him along with her while she glided over the cracked stony surface of each pillar, her tentacles feeling around each one, clearly searching for something.

Crossing his arms irritably, Atem felt himself growing dizzy as she waved him around like a ragdoll while she worked.

He noticed each pillar had enormous circular carvings with glowing gems embedded in their centers. The carvings were stacked upwards one on top of another, and the giant white octopus finally stopped at one pillar, still hanging Atem upside down by his fins while she held him up to inspect the circular calendar carved upon it.

Atem stared at the stonework in awe, taking in the intricate lines illustrating a human standing in the middle with his arms and legs spread wide. A giant stone with a blue core was growing out in the man's chest, and directly beneath it, was a similar circular calendar, with a human woman carved in the center.

Strange markings covered every inch of the circle, growing smaller as they got towards the middle of the man's navel, and Atem frowned, unable to understand any of it.

She grumbled loudly to herself, stabbing a tentacle at the calendar.

Attached to one of her large suction cups was a stray barnacle, and she held it against the stone, right at the carving's elbow.

 _YOUR MARKER IS SET. NOW LEAVE!_ she yelled, and Atem didn't need to be told twice.

Her grip on his tail finally loosened, and Atem twisted out of her grasp, zipping straight up towards the exit, his heart pounding thickly in his throat, almost choking the air out of him as he swam.

He burst out of the hallway and didn't stop swimming until he reached the safety of his room. Slamming the door behind himself, Atem leaned against it, gasping for air.

That had been one of the most terrifying experiences he had ever had in his own home.

 _I'm doing this for you, Seto Kaiba!_ Atem thought angrily, driving over to his bed and staring down at the remaining books he had yet to read.

The human had better appreciate his effort.

Sighing, Atem sat down on the sandy floor and pressed a hand over his rapidly beating heart, trying to calm himself down.

This was fine. He was going to be fine. Seto Kaiba was still going to be waiting for him when he surfaced. He just had to believe, pray, and keep researching.

If he spent his time wisely, a century would go by in a blink of an eye, and he would be reunited with Kaiba very soon.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Kaiba receives atem's message thru bratty Mokuba and is now in Pre-BlueScreenofDeath Mode, looking to find any and all information.

Atem struggles with the punishment in his own way, doing everything he can to keep track of time passing on shore. Including almost dying at the tentacles of a giant white octopus.

Bit of a short but impactful chapter? Idk u tell meeeeEeEee

Until next timmme,  
Ugli


	21. Chapter 21

Kaiba lay wide awake in bed, unable to sleep.

A three months had passed by insanely quickly since he had last seen Atem.

Mokuba had completed his high school entry exams and was starting school in another few months. His next few weeks were going to be filled with making sure Mokuba had everything he needed before school started.

This was going to be his brother's first time attending a school that wasn't private or abroad, and Kaiba was worried Mokuba would face the same prejudices he had struggled with.

Shaking the negative thoughts from his mind, Kaiba tried to focus on the positives.

He had gotten nowhere in his research with merpeople.  
He had gotten nowhere in his search for the elusive Chrysalis.  
Hell, even Marik Ishtar was avoiding him, by putting other people in his path whenever he showed up at his office or the hospital.

He had gone to the beachfront every other night, hoping and praying that Atem would surface, but as predicted, he did not. Waiting until sunrise, Kaiba would nap in the beachfront house for a couple hours before heading to work.

Because he was so exhausted, the days passed by in an uneventful, nauseating blur.

 _All positives,_ Kaiba fumed, turning over and tucking his arm under his head, glaring at his nightstand in the dark.

He was wasting time, and his own youthfulness. If merpeople were immortal, he was losing with every passing day.

Sitting up slowly and pushing the covers off his body, Kaiba decided that if he was awake, he might as well spend it in the lab downstairs.

Walking slowly down the hallway, he passed Mokuba's door, and he could hear the faint sounds of a video playing on his phone.

He wasn't in the mood to discipline his younger brother, so he let it slide.

If his younger brother was growing up anything like himself, sleep was going to be hard to come by for the rest to of his life.

Sighing, Kaiba stepped into the elevator and leaned against the railing, feeling oddly nauseous again.

Goddammit.

He slowly sat down on the floor as the lift sank lower and he placed his head between his knees, breathing deeply while the nausea rose higher and higher.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn this nausea.

The elevator door slid open softly and Kaiba got to his feet, feeling his throat burn with bile. He was going vomit…

He spied the wastebasket by the lab table, and he lunged for it, bending over the edge and hurling what was left of his dinner.

Coughing weakly, Kaiba wrinkled his nose angrily at the stench and gingerly sat back on his heels, his head spinning terribly.

The rats and guinea pigs were rustling and scrambling in the glass enclosures squeaking softly at him.

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba pulled himself together and caregully bundled up the wastebasket before approaching the cages, wondering if he could talk to the animals using his mind the way he had done so with the fish.

 _Hey, you._ Kaiba said mentally, eyeing on guinea pig with brown and black spots who was busy preening itself. _Hey you. Hey. Hey, Hey._

The guinea pig ignored him and continued to wash its face with its tiny clawed hands.

 _Hey, you fucker, look at me._ Kaiba growled, tapping at the glass with a slender nail, and he withdrew his hand quickly when he saw that once again, his nail had grown out into a fine point. There was also a tiny scratch in the place where his nail had been tapping.

"Ah, shit." Kaiba groaned, examining the nails on both his hand and wondering what type of sandpaper he needed to use to make them look like normal, human nails again.

He patted around the drawers underneath the lab table and pulled out the stack of sandpaper he kept in the back and began filing his nails down on the surface, keeping the sandpaper flat on the table while gently dragging his nails down across it.

This was what cats did, right? Did he need to install a scratching post into his room now, in addition to the shower that spewed water that was below freezing?

"Please don't eat me."

Kaiba let out a startled yell and stumbled back away from the cages, his heart pounding furiously in his chest as he stared at the rats and guinea pigs.

"Who-Who said that?!" Kaiba hissed, sweeping his gaze across the row of glass cages _._

 _Who the fuck said that? Stand the fuck up and raise your motherfucking hand_ , Kaiba thought viciously, and nothing happened. All the animals in the cages were still clamoring around mindlessly while others were asleep.

"I said it, sir." The brown spotted guinea pig stood up against the glass and stared right at him with its tiny beady eyes. "You're sharpening your claws so you can eat me."

"Shut up. He can't understand you." Another voice grumbled from behind it, and the brown spotted guinea pig dropped down on all fours to run back inside the plastic igloo.

Kaiba cautiously approached the glass cages and heard a shouting argument being had inside the igloo.

"He _could_ understand! He yelled when I said something!"

"These humans are all crazy! You heard the women in white coats! They said, 'he's going to run tests! ON US, YOU FOOL."

"Will you two shut up? I hope you die first."

"No, I hope _you_ die first."

 _Shut up!_ Kaiba shouted in his head, but the petty arguing continued.

"No, you."

"No, YOU!"

"I hope your death will be painful."

"I hope your death will be painful and we ALL get to watch."

 _They can't understand me through thoughts, but I can speak with them directly?!_ Kaiba thought, terror-stricken. On a whim, he rapidly reached inside the cage to lift the igloo away from the hoard of guinea pigs underneath it, and shrill screaming filled his ears.

"HE'S GOING TO KILL US ALL!"

"RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! Someone jump out of the cage to distract him!"

"THAT'S SUICIDE! You'll die when you hit the ground!"

"IT WORKED AT ANOTHER LAB I WAS AT! SOMEONE DO IT!"

"But how far away is the ground?! YOU DO IT, IT WAS YOUR IDEA!"

"Listen you fuckers," Kaiba said coldly, glaring down at the group of guinea pigs scrambling around in the cage making a huge mess. "Shut the fuck up. No one is going to die. At least, not if I can help it."

The animals all paused in their motions and stared at him for a moment before continuing to panic amongst themselves.

"See? We're fine! Let me go back to sleep."

"HUMANS DO THIS THING, ITS CALLED LYING."

"Oh sure, you're the wisest of us all, only because you've been alive the longest."

"IN FACT, I AM!"

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba realized that they were ignoring him probably because the idea of a human understanding them was probably beyond their comprehension.

They did have tiny brains after all.

Setting the igloo back down in the cage, Kaiba grabbed several vials of liquefied scales from the freezer and arranged them in a neat row in front of each cage. Next, he grabbed a few clean syringes and lined each one up with every vial.  
Then, He pried open a laptop that was sitting nearby and suppressed a yawn.

One group he would inject with the scales, another he would make them ingest it by putting it in their water feeders.  
The third group would be his control.  
He would do this twice over, with rats and guinea pigs.

Time to begin.

* * *

Atem placed a grey stone on the hollowed-out indent alongside four other stones on the golden calendar block, feeling a rush of sadness.

At his request two stones ago, three strong Stealthsman and one palace guard had moved this calendar from the outer gardens and into his room.

There were two rows of six empty spaces for stones, and every time a row filled up, it meant half a year had passed on shore.

One more stone, and it would be six months. Time was passing too quickly and slowly at the same time.

Atem had nearly forgotten to place the previous stone, because four weeks had passed by in the blink of an eye. Everyone was intent on keeping him busy, eager to forget the horror of the past, and Atem could feel that everyone wanted to move on quickly, but he personally couldn't.

Thoughts of Seto Kaiba filled his mind like an infectious disease. Anytime he did anything, Kaiba's face would appear in the front of his mind.

Just the other day when he was making an obligatory visit to the Mines, he had thought of nothing but Seto Kaiba on the journey there, and on the journey back.

Mahad had even commented on his peculiar silence, and Atem shook him off with a glare and a sorrowful look.

Throwing himself down on his bed, Atem gathered the sheets in his arms and gave them a tight hug, shutting his eyes and imagining it was Kaiba in his arms instead.

It was futile. Nothing and no one could replace Seto Kaiba.

A soft knock sounded at his door and Mana's voice floated through it.

"Atem…Solomon is requesting your presence in the throne room."

 _Again?_ Atem raged internally, swimming over to the door and throwing it open. "What does he want?!"

"I-I... don't know." Mana lied badly, clasping her hands in front of her with an embarrassed flush before lowering her voice to a whisper. "Actually…its regarding Matchmaking."

"I swear on Tefnuu's staff I will murder that old man in his sleep one day." Atem muttered venomously, plowing through the water in his anger and ignoring Mana's worried thoughts behind him.

He floated to a furious stop at the edge of the hallway leading into the throne room, seeing a row of strangers along the pillars of the room.

Mahad spotted him and dove towards him with a sympathetic smile, gesturing for Atem to swim closer. "Come, my king. You'll like this selection better—"

"Not interested." Atem seethed, and Solomon's deep voice echoed from behind him.

"King Atem! I need you in here…now!"

Grinding his teeth in annoyance, Atem spun around and sped back into the throne room, glaring at the old merman and choosing to float a good distance away from him, avoiding the heated stares from the strangers in the room.

"I don't want this." Atem said coldly.

The old merman waved his staff towards the row of strangers. "If you give any of these people a chance, we could discuss the _possibility_ of you being able to surface to moon bathe. You may thank Mana for the kind suggestion."

Atem bit the tip of his tongue tightly, tasting blood.  
Fine. He would put up an act if it meant he could sneak away during a moon bath and hide somewhere on Seto Kaiba's private shore until he appeared.  
Thank Ahti for Mana and her clever ways.

"Supervised moon bathing," Solomon added, recognizing the fiery glint in the young king's eyes. "Three Stealthsman and one warrior will accompany you."

 _I'll fight them all or bribe them_ , Atem thought furiously, forcing himself to keep his expression neutral.

"Fine." Atem said coolly, raking his gaze through the row of merpeople, and he spied a face he remembered seeing in the last selection. The merman with medium blond hair and kind brown eyes.

"I choose him." Atem said carelessly, pointing at the merman, and the man's face fell dramatically as he was unable to hide his disappointment.

Setting his jaw in fury, Atem realized these people probably had not volunteered to be here, but had been drafted…either by Solomon or by heads of their colonies.

"Good choice. A young warrior in the making," Solomon beamed, nodding in approval. "I give you both my blessing."

 _Don't…care,_ Atem growled to himself, and he rushed forward to grab the blond merman by the arm and drag him out of the throne room, only half-listening to his panicked stammering.

"H-Hey uh…n-nice to meet you, um…I'm Joey," he said, floating awkwardly on his side as Atem continued to drag him through the hallways of the palace. "Wow, man, I never been here before, nice place, uh…C-Can we slow down? I don't know—I mean, I've never done it with another guy before—"

Spying a deserted hallway, Atem floated to a stop and pushed the blond merman into the far corner, throwing a frantic look over his shoulder before he whispered, "You're a warrior in training? Perfect."

This seemed to incite even more panic in the man, and an odd accent from his colony was beginning to come through in his speech. "N-No please, I mean, I like you, man, I really do…b-but as a friend-friend! Not really looking smash fins if ya' know what I mean—"

"We're friends, right?" Atem demanded, narrowing his eyes and realizing this merman was misunderstanding completely. "By the Law of Brothers, we are friends, regardless of our colony or status. So help me. Joey, is your name? We are brothers, aren't we?"

"Y-Yeah…we're bros." The man grew slightly pale and fell silent, gazing fearfully into Atem's angular violet eyes which were narrowed in determination.

"Tell me the location of the nearest Chrysalis," Atem demanded in a low whisper. "Or show me."

Joey's eyes widened in surprise and he swallowed visibly, his Adam's apple jumping tightly in his throat.

"Why'dya wanna know that?" He asked hoarsely, gazing frantically over Atem's shoulder and making sure no one was swimming by or eavesdropping. "You know I can't tell you, right?"

"Yes, you can," Atem said in a heated rush. "Its not like you're bound by a pact or anything." He was so close. So close. All this merman had to do was lead him to a Chrysalis.

"A-Actually we are...bound by a pact." Joey said plainly, giving Atem an appraising look. "It's one of the first things we do in the Initiation. We learn about Pact-making…and well, how to make one, safely."

"Which means you how to break one, safely." Atem argued cleverly and bared his fangs in a half-grin. "My warrior, Mahad, overheard my pact with the human and undoubtedly advised Solomon on how to help me break it. Now, you will break yours, and lead me to a Chrysalis."

There was a tense silence, before Joey's eyes widened and he pulled Atem into a crushing embrace, nearly squeezing the water out of his lungs as he said in a loud voice, "Ah, man! HAHAHA you're the best! I can't wait to smash tails with ya…."

Struggling angrily against the muscular arms wrapped around his body, Atem felt Joey hang onto him tightly and send him a private thought, _"One of yer palace guys is floatin' by starin'. Not safe to talk here."_

Joey released Atem with a firm smile, his brown eyes sparkling with camaraderie. "Aight. I'll help ya out cuz that's what I'm trained to do, right? I ain't gonna be a strong warrior if I don't know how to break my own pacts. But you gotta tell me why and everythin'."

"Indeed, I will." Atem smiled and felt a rush of gratitude and happiness for the first time in a long time. He threw himself forward and returned Joey's embrace with equal vigor, hearing his new friend laugh happily in his arms.

 _"Heads up. Another one of yer palace guys, comin' right at us. Act normal and keep huggin' me."_

"Boys…boys, no need to hide here, whispering like you're committing a crime," Shada's voice echoed mutely in the hallway, and Atem slowly turned around to face the Ambassador with a stiff smile.

Nowhere was safe inside his own home.

"Hahaha that's funny, cuz we are definitely plotting to commit a crime," Joey replied brashly with a fang-glinting grin, his accent changing fluidly.

Atem bit the inside of his lip and resisted the urge to elbow Joey in the stomach. His new friend was hilarious, and useful.  
Having a warrior by his side who wasn't Mahad was going to make seeing Seto Kaiba a lot easier from now on.

"We're going to talk in the garden, or somewhere in the outskirts of the palace," Atem said vaguely, grabbing Joey by the arm and steering him down the hallway, keeping the pleasant smile plastered on his face for Shada.

"I'm not your Keeper. Go anywhere you like," Shada replied with a huff, and Joey grew very still at his side while they watched him swim away.

"Who's he?" Joey asked quietly while Atem led them down another winding hallway.

"The Royal Ambassador. He travels to other colonies in foreign waters, or on shore to fulfill peace treaties, and sometimes just to spread important news."

"Cool." Joey answered nonchalantly, craning his head around in a full circle to gaze at the mosaic artwork surrounding them every time they passed a new set of pillars leading to another hallway.

"Hey, Warrior 101 is if you're in a hostile place where everyone is listening, don't ever talk." Joey said instantly, sounding very perceptive of Atem's situation. "We should communicay in our thoughts from now on if you need my help…finding…that thing."

 _Communicay,_ Atem mused, throwing Joey a playful smile over his shoulder, mimicking his accent.

 _I mean, 'communicate' ya know what I mean_ , Joey grumbled back to him, nodding a few palace maidens floating by and giggling at them. _Dang. Even the girls are prettier here._

 _Tell me the exact wording of your pact,_ Atem said instantly, not wasting a moment's time, but his companion was already distracted. Joey had left his side and was floating after the two maidens, doing backflips over their heads while they giggled and tried to ignore him.

"Joey!" Atem cried out in dismay and dove forward to quickly drag his new friend away from the two women. "Focus! I was asking you a question."

"And I saw some pretty girls! Ya don't see 'em like that where I come from," Joey strained against Atem's grip, waving energetically at the two girls who covered their mouths demurely and tossed their hair gracefully over their shoulders at him.

"C'mon lemme go talk to 'em!" Joey whined, watching the two women swim away prettily, waving their fins at him after one last look over their shoulders. "One of them looks like my ideal maiden."

"Oh, your ideal maiden, tell me all about her." Atem said dryly, dragging Joey on his side once more, aiming for the stone bench behind the coral trees.

"Blonde and beautiful," Joey declared, flipping himself on his back and lacing his hands behind his head, floating leisurely above the stone bench while Atem took a seat. "And she's gotta have big jugs. Like huge. Enormous."

"Jugs." Atem repeated emotionlessly, not understanding what Joey meant.

"Breasts! _C'mon_ Your Majesty," Joey grinned widely again, his fangs gleaming. "Alright now tell me what you like. Is it mermen? I mean, I heard something 'bout you...but I'd rather ask you directly."

"What are people saying about me?" Atem asked, instantly on guard. "Tell me."

"Ehhh…" Joey shook his head and smiled again this time with more sympathy. "Nah. It ain't important."

"Tell me, or I'll fight you." Atem fumed, and his friend threw his head back with a laugh.

"You wanna fight a warrior in training? What, are you doing some trainin' too?"

"Please tell me." Atem said, curling his fists over his fin with a mixture of curiosity and frustration. "I need to know."

Joey nodded, and after a moment's contemplation, he spoke carefully, "They say you're lonely, and got no one be with, so while you got captured, a male human convinced you that ya'll could be Mates or somethin'. I mean, I don't blame the human for wantin' to…and I don't blame you for believin' him neither."

"That's what people think happened?" Atem cried, wondering how the story got so twisted in such a short amount of time. "That's not even remotely true!"

"Yeah see? Gutter talk," Joey grinned, floating lower and giving him a nod. "So, ideal maiden?"

"I like men." Atem said instantly, and Joey's face fell slightly.

"Oh...ah. So, half of it is true," Joey said awkwardly, and there was a tense silence. _And you wanna find a Chrysalis to go see him on land_.

Atem nodded, growing numb all over as he made a small confession to his new friend in thought-form.

 _I initiated. I invited him into the water with me the first time. In fact, I forcefully dragged him in the water and wrapped my tail around his legs. He didn't mind, and after a few moments, he kept asking for more—_

 _YEAH YEAH LA LA LA I GOT IT! I GOT IT!_ Joey said, making a frantic X motion across his chest, his cheeks burning red. _Don't wanna hear about mating stuff or you're gonna make me horny._

Atem felt a laugh climbing up his chest and swallowed thinly.  
 _Apologies…for that, Joey._

 _Nah, you're good._ Joey flipped over on his back again and suppressed a yawn. _My pact is pretty air-tight now that I think about it. I got the words, ready?_

 _Yes._ Atem replied, sitting up straighter and listening intently.

 _"I, Jounouchi Katsuya, swear on my blood, that as a Warrior, I will protect the mer-population with my life. I will be an upstanding citizen, and I will use the Chrysalis only when necessary, while keeping the locations a secret to any being who seeks its powers. I will withstand any torture, threats, and blackmail, because as a Warrior, it is my duty to protect what is sacred to me as a merperson, and to the people I love."_

Atem swallowed thinly, growing cold all over. That was some solid wording. It was no wonder his pact with Seto Kaiba was easily broken.

 _That's the part I say_ , Joey said, frowning in concentration. _There's the part that the Chrysalis Guard says too._

 _How many guards_? Atem asked curiously, his stomach churning with dread at the answer he was about to receive.

 _Two rows of guards_ , Joey answered solemnly _. And not all of them are merpeople, so beware. Anyone who doesn't know how fight might actually get killed trying to break through the barriers. There's an enchantment pact around Chrysalis too, and the mermaids who cast it are all alive. If any one of them dies unnaturally, the terms of the pact are passed on to their next of kin immediately._

 _Oh Ra…_ Atem reeled, gazing down at his own clenched fists. So, it wasn't an obstacle enough that the Chrysalis was hard to seek—it was heavily guarded with pacts and other sea creatures.

 _And apparently the Warrior Pact protects me from feeling pain if I ever am captured._ Joey said distantly, fanning his tail thoughtfully _. I'll still bleed, but I won't feel anything. If I break this pact, I put myself at risk if there's ever a war. That much is clear._

"I can't ask you to do that…" Atem breathed, numb all over with sorrow and despair, and he wondered if Mahad had broken his pact in order to access the Chrysalis twice in such a short amount of time.  
That thought made him sick to his stomach with guilt and worry.

 _Best advice…maybe you forget about him._ Joey said knowingly, glancing down at Atem as he hovered above his head. _What's so good about him anyway? Ya know, humans only live about eight decades. Another warrior lesson: don't bond with something that has a short lifespan._

 _I just…want to see him,_ Atem thought miserably, biting back the horrible burning of unshed tears building behind his eyes. _Even if it's only from afar. I want him to know that I didn't abandon him._

 _Ah, I get it. You're attached to him like he's your pet,_ Joey said, nodding, thinking he understood. _I'll think about my pact and ask some buddies. Maybe they've already broken theirs and I'm the last one! Aw man…!_

Joey instantly looked crestfallen, and Atem felt a rush of endearment towards his new companion.

 _I can help you find your ideal maiden if you can help sneak me to the surface somehow. I don't need the Chrysalis. That plan is too dangerous_ , _for me…and for you._ Atem thought fervently up at Joey, and his friend nodded.

 _You got yourself a deal,_ Joey said happily, looking very please and relieved. _Ya know, the rumor was that whoever got picked by you was gonna have to Mate with you with a happy smile on their face. This trade is way better._

 _That's horrible_ , Atem replied furiously. _Who ordered that? I didn't ask for that_!

 _And the benefits were immediate promotion to whatever rank I want_ , Joey continued ruthlessly, now realizing he could speak openly with the King.

 _They were also offering riches to the family. I mean, I kinda need that more. I can work my way up in ranks, but my baby sister is still in School…and she gets teased about her hair all the time. I wanna bring her to a nice salon here in the Royal Village…but man, I saw those prices as I was swimming by…_

 _Bring her with you next time,_ Atem said warmly with a soft smile _. Mana knows how to braid hair very well. She even knows how to color it with dyes made from kelp and algae._

 _Wow! For real? Noice,_ Joey grinned flashing Atem a thumbs-up. _She'll be crazy happy to hear that. Hey, lemme grab some grub while I'm here, and then I gotta jet. Need'ta report for evening guard-duty in my hemisphere._

 _Food is always available for you in the Royal Dining Hall,_ Atem nodded and pointed over his shoulder at the white hallway behind several tall pillars decorated with streams of colored kelp. _Take whatever you want._

 _Sweet. See ya later alligator!_ The blond merman gave Atem an energetic wave and swam off with impressive speed towards the white hallway, leaving nothing but a trail of white bubbles behind him.

Atem smiled to himself and felt it fade quickly. Finding and accessing a Chrysalis was going to be ten times harder than he'd originally thought. He would also be breaking a thousand ancient mer-made rules in the process, along with endangering his new friend.

He couldn't do that. As a King, it really was irresponsible.

"Atem!"

Atem jumped and spun around quickly, annoyed that Solomon had managed to sneak up on him.

"I was watching you two play from afar," the old man chuckled, looking very pleased. "You see? Isn't it nice to have someone the same age...and the same _species_ to play with?"

"We weren't playing, we were only talking." Atem replied indignantly, feeling a rush of resentment for the old man. "And he's bringing his sister for his next visit. Please alert the guards at the front."

"Well, that's perfect!" The old man said genially, floating away with a happy smile on his face. "I'm glad this arrangement worked out so well."

"It's working out wonderfully." Atem replied with a cold smile, and he kicked of the bench to swim away quickly, eager to get away from Solomon.

He dove behind a wide pillar for safety and breathed a soft sigh of annoyance.

There was a way to reach Seto Kaiba at the surface.

He just needed to work harder to keep up appearances and make friends in the right places.

 _I can do it, because I am the King, damn it!_ Atem thought angrily, using Kaiba's curse word fondly in his mind.

Cursing in his mind made him feel closer to Seto Kaiba, and doing it was fun. Atem was beginning to see why Kaiba cursed so often.

* * *

 _Dammit,_ Kaiba growled, gently lifting a dead rat out of the cage with his gloved hands and inspecting it carefully.

The body was still warm and all the other rats in the cage were panicking with high-pitched squeaks.

 _"SHE DIED! OH, POOR HER!"_

 _"She said she was feeling unwell for the past few days."_

 _"This guy put something in our water. It tastes funny. Everyone, don't drink the water!"_

 _"Then die of thirst! I need to drink water. There's nothing else to drink here."_

Kaiba shut his eyes and felt a headache coming on as the guinea pigs in the neighboring cage saw the rat corpse in his hand and also began yelling.

 _"HE KILLED ONE! See, what did I tell you?! We're all going to die."_

 _"All she said was 'I don't feel good!'"_

 _"Yeah, that's how it starts. Then we'll ALL start feeling bad and die from whatever she had!"_

 _"I don't want to feel unwell when I die…"_

Sighing heavily, Kaiba sealed the rat corpse in a plastic bag and decided he would take the time to dissect it…away from the cages, so the animals wouldn't see him doing it.

The guinea pigs were still oinking and yelling over the glass at the rats, attempting to have a conversation with them.

 _"Did he inject you with something?"_

 _"He injected us with something, and we feel fine!"_

 _"Drinking the water is what makes you sick!"_

 _"Is your water poisoned?!"_

Suppressing a tired groan, Kaiba tossed the rat into a jar of embalming liquid and decided to call it a day.

He peeled the gloves off his hands and marched towards the elevator, hearing it _ding!_

Mokuba was standing inside, with his finger still on the button, and he and wrinkled his nose, "Ew. What smells?"

"Why are you still in your uniform?" Kaiba retaliated with another question, unwilling to answer his brother. "Get changed."

"No, I'm wearing it cuz I need to show you!" Mokuba said irritably, raising his leg and pointing at the lower cuff which rode up his shin. "I grew, and that's annoyingly short. Can we call the tailor and get him to come over tonight? I don't wanna go to school if it looks this bad."

"Everyone is wearing the same thing. No one will notice." Kaiba said monotonously, stepping into the elevator with a tired sigh. "Going up, bellboy."

"Yeah, but I notice. And girls notice." Mokuba said grumpily, letting go of the button and watching the elevator doors slide shut quickly. "And my sleeves are getting short too. I hate how tight the shoulders are feeling. C'mon Seto. I know you tailored your school jacket! Mr. Kato came over all the time during the summer…and he fixed your winter set at the same time too!"

"Yes, we'll call him. I never said you couldn't," Kaiba sniffed, resting a hand on Mokuba's shoulder and gazing fondly into his face, appreciating that they were almost nose-to-nose.

"Good, and I want help Yuu senpai fit into his uniform too," Mokuba said obnoxiously, shrugging Seto's hand off his shoulder. "He keeps the bullies off my back, and I feel like he's the only guy who talks to me cuz he likes me. Not just to suck up to me."

 _He's a great detective, even managing to punish every person in the group who wrote insults about me on the board._

"Invite him over and we'll pay for it," Kaiba said calmly, stepping out of the elevator once it reached the top, and he rolled his shoulders back, feeling achy all over.

"Cool, thanks. You're best," Mokuba grinned, and he stuck closely at Seto's side, bouncing eagerly on his toes. "Hey, big bro. Can you also teach me how to drive?"

"No." Kaiba said automatically, pausing at the door to his room, wondering why Mokuba was following him around so much. "We have a driver for a reason."  
 _  
AW MANNNN WHY?! I KNEW HE WAS GONNA SAY NO!_

"Yeah but, _you_ drive!" Mokuba argued, starting to raise his voice. "Why can't you let _me_ drive? I won't drive any of the super cars! Just give me a shitty, slow car. All the cool and rich senpais at my school can drive! I'm the only rich kid who doesn't drive!"

"Yeah, and they're all 18," Kaiba said testily, wishing Mokuba would leave him alone. "And they all have a death wish."

"Give me slow car and I can start learning!" Mokuba fumed, placing his hand on the door and aiming to push his way into Seto's room if Seto wouldn't give him what he wanted. "I wanna drive."

"Why? Why do you want to drive?" Kaiba asked impatiently, stepping into his room and blocking the way into it. "I'm tired, Mokuba. I was up all night—"

"Yeah playing with rats, we know," Mokuba said nastily, folding his arms across his chest with a sneer. "I want a car that's _mine_ , that _I can drive_ to go on dates _._ It's not my fault you don't understand, and don't have anyone you wanna take on a date."

Kaiba ground his teeth together tightly and felt a pang of anger.

"Yeah, got you where it hurts," Mokuba smirked, noticing how Seto's eyelid twitched. "C'monnnn…please?!"

 _Gosh, Seto is so uptight and unfair. The second he turned 18, he started driving, and he snuck out with a car all the time!  
I know he even convinced Isono to teach him! Why isn't he letting me drive?  
Dang. He's seriously angry about my date comment? But it's true!_

"I'll think about it." Kaiba growled, and he slammed the door in Mokuba's face, hearing his brother's thoughts cheering in his mind.

 _Yessssssssss! That always means yes. That means he's gonna get me a car, oh man oh man! I'm so excited! Aiko-chan is gonna be so impressed huehuheuhue…._

Sighing, Kaiba stripped off his shirt and tossed it aside, eager to take a hot shower.

He switched the water on and stepped inside, sighing deeply as the cold water cascaded over his skin, moisturizing it as well. Washing his hair vigorously, Kaiba silently congratulated himself for his own cleverness.

He had managed to fit a separate tank into the wall behind the shower last year during the renovations. Having filled that with liquid scales all while the tank kept the water below freezing, he could enjoy the sensation of a hot shower while still under the effects from the scales he was ingesting.

He discovered that this always helped his skin stay moist, at least until near the end of the day, when he started to feel dry again…which then meant it was time for another moisturizing cold shower.

Shutting the water off, Kaiba stood very still in the middle of the stall, waiting for the water to evaporate off his body.

Mokuba was begging him for car and going out on dates.

How had three years passed by so quickly?

Stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel for warmth, Kaiba wrapped it around his body and sighed, bending over the sink and inspecting his pale reflection in the mirror.

This was the face of a man who was one of the top-ten richest people in the world.

His cosmetics line had launched seamlessly at the end of last year and was well-received by skin-care enthusiasts in the beauty industry. The serum delivered anti-aging results that were undeniable, receiving raving reviews even from various cosmetic surgeons about how the cream produced natural-looking results which looked like well-placed botox injections or a tasteful facelift.

Following the serum's release on the market in the past year, he had somehow become obscenely rich; richer than he had been before Atem's capture, and his world changed for the better. People treated him differently.

At social functions, beautiful men and women alike would throw themselves at him, but Kaiba always turned them away with his disinterest.

It didn't matter how pretty they were or how beautiful they made themselves up to be.  
They weren't _Atem._

And no one understood that.

Sighing, Kaiba strode out of the bathroom to get dressed, thinking he would visit the basement again, for old times' sake. With too much money and nowhere to spend it, he had converted it into a luxurious pool deck with an accompanying hot tub and mini-bar, but there was nothing he could do to the room that would make him forget that Atem had once been there, waiting for him at the edge of the pool with a seductive smile.

Toweling his hair dry, Kaiba stood in front of the full-length mirror by his walk-in closet. Next month was his birthday, and Mokuba was going to be on winter break in a few months.

He kept catching stray thoughts from Mokuba thinking about wanting to travel to Europe, or "somewhere warm this winter", so he had his work cut out for him.

Shrugging on a shirt and some pants, Kaiba sat down at his desk and pried open his laptop, mentally preparing himself to buy Mokuba a car, and to book tickets for winter vacation.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Time lapse chapter. Beginning of the chap, few months pass and both men cope with it in different ways: kaiba throws himself in his work and searches fervently for answers while Atem kinda does the same thing, looking for an out any way he can.

Ahhh the tragedyyyy. *throws arm dramatically over my eyes* (im sorry, I love tragic romances and wanted to challenge myself writing a time-lapse-y story that makes sense somehow)

but atem makes a new friend (joey loloolol)

And mokuba is seen physically growing up here!

expound your thoughts in the comments below and yell at me to your heart's content. I'll keep writing.

Xo  
ugli


	22. Chapter 22

Kaiba bent over the dead rat and gently pried its skin off the bone with tweezers, wrinkling his nose when he saw that the rat had died from a rupture in its bowels.

His blood ran cold as he wondered if ingesting the scales would do the same to his own bowels. He was a bigger specimen and had been ingesting the scales for the same amount of time this rat had been alive, which was…three and a half years.

The rupture in the bowels could also be a natural cause of death, because this rat was from the control group, and rats only lived for about three years anyway.

But, just in case this was going to cause internal bleeding or bowel irritation, Kaiba took this as a personal warning and decided he would inject the scales directly into his own bloodstream from now on.

The rats and guinea pigs from the injection group were totally fine. In fact, they showed no signs of aging.

The injection group also complained a lot less.

The water feeder group always complained about feeling unwell, and he could hear them whining, even now.

 _"I hate how I feel right now…"_

 _"Do you feel like dying? You haven't died yet…"_

 _"No, but when I eat food, it does weird things inside my stomach…"_

 _"That's why I've stopped eating…see? I've lost weight."_

Rats and guinea pigs didn't have a vomit reflex, so Kaiba silently thanked his stars that he could understand the animals when they spoke. It was actually extremely helpful, and the injection group had gotten oddly complacent.

They were eating too much, talking too much, sleeping too much…basically _living their best life,_ and Kaiba was growing slightly envious of them.

He had personally managed to curb the nausea through sheer power of will and forced himself to grow accustomed to being nauseous in the mornings and evenings, right before he took a dose of scales.

He also adjusted his eating schedule to make sure his stomach was empty before he vomited, and he was aware that this was the unhealthy beginnings of a trained eating disorder.

Time to start injecting.

No time like the present.

Grabbing a fresh syringe from the plastic packet, Kaiba rolled his sleeve back quickly, steeling himself to do it before he changed his mind out of fear.

Atem. Think of Atem.

He stuck the tip of the needle into the vial of scales and drew the liquid into the syringe, hating that only half of the contents filled the needle. This meant to get the regular amount he had been used to consuming for the past few years, he needed _two_ injections, or a bigger needle, to get the entire vial inside himself.

Growling angrily, Kaiba patted his arm with two fingers and felt his skin sting and swell. A blue vein showed faintly through his skin, so he wasted no time gently inserting the needlepoint into it, gritting his teeth through the pain and slowly pushing the liquid into his veins.

Nothing happened.

There was no icy cold or any physical change he could immediately feel.

Slightly curious, Kaiba stabbed the needle back into the vial to draw out the remaining portion of liquified scales and hastily injected it into his other arm with ease.

What was the point in being so nervous? This couldn't be any worse than, say, heroine or meth…could it?

Standing up slowly, Kaiba eyed the clock, knowing it was late-night, and was expecting nausea around 11PM.

To his great relief, he felt fine, and it was 10:30PM.

This was great. He decided to add this into the log and inject himself twice every night at this time.

Stretching lightly, Kaiba suppressed a yawn and decided he would finally get a good night's sleep, while hopefully dreaming of Atem.

* * *

Atem was dreaming.

He was lying on a soft, sandy beach while Seto Kaiba lay beside him, gently caressing his face with his pale hand, looking deep into his eyes, his mouth moving as he spoke, but his voice was drowned out by the crashing waves.

"What is it?" Atem asked, frowning and nuzzling his nose against the human's cheek, longing for a kiss. "I can't hear you."

Kaiba mouth moved again, and his brows furrowed in frustration.

"Atem."

The merking smiled warmly. "Why are you just saying my name?"

"Atem!"

Mana's voice was coming out of Kaiba's mouth, and Atem jerked awake furiously, glaring at his friend who was hovering at his bedside in the dark, her eyes wide with excitement.

"What, Mana. What? I was having such a nice dream."

"Moon bathing!" Mana whispered happily, reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze. "The court voted 5 out of 7. You can come moon bathing with me, unsupervised!"

"Oh let me guess, the two disapproving votes are from Solomon and Shadi," Atem said dryly, his mood falling instantly, but Mana shook her head.

"Actually, it was Isis and Solomon. They're afraid you might sneak away to see the human, but we're going to be on an opposite shore."

"An opposite shore?" Atem wondered, letting Mana pull him out of bed and through the hallways of the palace. "Where?"

"Cathedral Beach," Mana replied happily, pulling the king past the palace gates and nodding at the two sleepy guards standing by the pillared entryway.

"I've never been there…" Atem said anxiously, trying to recall where he had heard the name before. "Wasn't a mermaid Sighted there last century? That shore was banned for the following five decades. I remember father issued the decree."

"The ban has been lifted for the past two decades," Mana said mildly, waving at a couple of mermaids who were several yards above them in the water. "Friends!"

Atem felt Mana let go of his hand and she zoomed towards her friends above him.

Glancing around fervently, he checked for any guards that could be following him, but he saw no one.

Perhaps now he could sneak away….

The, out of the corner of his eye, he saw two Stealthswomen flanking two mermaids who appeared to be queens from another colony, and Atem's heart sank.

If news of his punishment had spread far and wide, it was possible that other guards would be looking his way.

 _"Atem! Come up here!"_ Mana's voice echoed in his thoughts. _"Stay with us or you'll get lost! I promised Mahad…"_

Sighing, Atem kept his arms tight at his sides as he swam upwards quickly, ignoring the whispering from other mermaids around him.

A trip to the surface was already a welcome relief.  
He could think about jeopardizing his own future again with Seto Kaiba, later, when he popped his head up for air.

* * *

Kaiba trudged through the sand with his shoes in one hand, and phone in the other, his heart heavy with anxiety and sorrow.

The sand here was different. It was finer, and a bit firmer, sporting a beautiful white sheen. It somehow wasn't sticking to his skin even though his legs were still slightly damp from accidentally stepping in a shallow pool earlier, causing him to almost twist his ankle.

Mokuba wasn't with him because he had wanted to take his girlfriend downtown to enjoy the city nightlife, so Kaiba found himself alone on a beach again, but this time, on another continent.

Pausing mid-step, Kaiba closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again.

He threw his head back to gaze up at the violet sky, which was slowly melting into a deep indigo, sprinkled with sparkling stars and a glowing full moon.

The view here was almost heavenly. Large rock formations curved magnificently up from the sand, creating little caves and deep curving cavities.

 _I'm in the right place,_ Kaiba thought faintly, continuing to trudge along.

It was warm here this time of year, and in his fervid research, he'd discovered an avid mermaid-sighting blog, listing this location as a mystical starting point for any human who wanted a chance of a lifetime.

It was this beach—Praia Das Catedrais…or Playa de las Catedrales, whatever the people called it here.

He didn't speak Spanish and had been relying on his phone translator to get by, although it was pretty obvious to the locals that he was a tourist anyway.

Kaiba snapped out of his inner musings and stopped mid-step once more to appreciate the view again.

Breathtaking. The water was clear, and even the air tasted different.

The roaring of the waves echoed magnificently every time they washed into a narrow grotto, and Kaiba felt truly alone.

He had passed a warning sign a few yards back, depicting slippery rocks and sudden deep water, but he didn't care.

He needed to be here.

The blogger had claimed she'd spoken with a mermaid in cavern here, and Kaiba was sure if he could hold a conversation with a mermaid, she could tell him where Atem was. After all, he was a king, wasn't he? How big was the ocean and how big was Atem's reach?

He didn't know.  
The blogger could've been making it up for all he knew.

Sighing, Kaiba sidestepped another shallow puddle and weaved through another series of towering curved rocks. It really was like walking into a cathedral on the ocean….

Closing his eyes, Kaiba swayed slightly on the spot, feeling an odd rush of nausea which quickly passed, and he leaned against the multi-colored rocks, pulling himself together.

He ran his hand down the grooved crevice, marveling at the natural steps in the stone and the beautiful colors. Mermaids loved this shit, right?

Kaiba gazed apprehensively into the sandy trail before him. There was no water in sight. He needed to turn around.

The waves crashing against the rock were deafening, but Kaiba swore he heard a human voice whispering underneath the sound of the waves, and he froze in place, listening intently.

 _"Let's gather here…"_

 _"Yes, this is a good spot. I don't see or hear anyone…"_

 _"It's mealtime for humans. All the sightseers are on the far end."_

 _"There was a sign…I couldn't read it…"_

They weren't speaking English or Japanese, but Kaiba realized he could understand them somehow…in his mind.

Feeling a rush of heated excitement, Kaiba dropped his shoes and left his phone buried beside them in the sand. His hearing had improved so much in the past few months, he could detect the audible electronic whine from his phone, which had proven to be quite useful whenever he misplaced it somewhere in his lab.

Climbing through the narrow rocks, Kaiba tried his best to remain quiet. If merpeople could hear as well as he could, this meant he needed to be even quieter.

Reaching the end of the winding rock pathway, Kaiba let his feet sink into the shallow pool of warm water.

He stopped breathing when he heard more voices.  
There were quiet whispers…coming from somewhere to his left.

 _"I feel bad. Should I go check on him…?"_

 _"No, don't. He'll be fine. Men don't care that much about moon bathing anyway…."_

Kaiba's heart sank rapidly when he heard this. So, "moon bathing" was a mermaid-exclusive activity? No mermen liked to moon bathe?

"No, I guess not, dammit," he growled to himself before he clapped a hand over his mouth, cursing his own stupidity.

Shit. Shit. Shit. He had been heard.

There were simultaneous gasps of surprise from behind the rock.

Panic and adrenaline rushed through his blood. Thinking quickly, Kaiba stripped off his shirt and tossed it aside while he sank to his knees in the shallow pool, rapidly raking sand over his legs to hide them.

The mermaids sounded close, and if they were nearby—

"A man!" a voice gasped, and Kaiba jerked his head up, seeing an eerily beautiful face gazing at him through the crevice in the rock on his left.

Oh….fuck. They had been on the other side the entire time. Fuck. Fuck.  
How fucking terrible and embarrassing….

"No, no need to be embarrassed!" she cried, moving aside and letting her friend peek through the crevice too, and the women giggled pleasantly.

"This area is for us women, merman," the second mermaid said bossily, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulders. "You can go join the only other male who is ten pools away. We won't look, and give you dignity while you crawl away."

Kaiba grit his teeth, feeling a rush of resentment towards them. Wow, okay, fine.

"Good, he agrees. He's so embarrassed, he can't even speak!" The women laughed, and Kaiba glared furiously at the crevice.

He made violent splashing noises with his hands while standing up and shaking the sand from his pants.

He was being kicked out by the women here, and apparently the men were ten pools away. How far was that?

"Just get to the beach and swim there," another mermaid answered him, her voice echoing pleasantly in the curved grotto. "You and him can enjoy each other's company as the only men who moon bathe!"

 _Yeah, whatever,_ Kaiba growled a response in his mind as he hastily climbed back over the slippery rock. Ten pools. Great directions, very helpful.

Mana peered into the crevice again, surprised to see that the man had disappeared.

"That was quick," she commented, and her two friends gave her lazy smiles.

"Indeed. Did you hear his thoughts? He was so angry and embarrassed."

Mana nodded stiffly and sank lower into the pool, her stomach churning with a strange feeling.

That man was beautiful, more beautiful than any merman she had ever seen.

"Oh, stop hankering after him," her friend nudged her playfully. "Pretty mermen are all Pure and stuck up, like King Atem."

"Atem does not act Pure and he is not stuck up!" Mana cried, rushing to Atem's defense, but her friends had already changed the topic, chatting happily amongst themselves about their kelp dyes.

Kaiba threw his wet shirt around his neck and weaved through the towering rocks, listening intently for more voices, but all he could hear was the steady drip and echo of water rushing in from the ocean.

He passed two wide tide pools and his heart raced with excitement.

Picking up his pace, Kaiba took steady, leaping strides over the sand and slowed to a halt. He had passed seven pools. Where were the other three?

Now furious, Kaiba scanned the rocky caves and ventured into the closest one.

It was a shallow dead end, and the water came up to his thighs.

Turning around, Kaiba walked several paces more until the rock made a sharp turn. He followed the narrow crevice only to find another dead end, and the water only reached his ankles.

This was nine "pools" now, so if Atem or another merman wasn't going to appear, he was marching back to the mermaids and giving them the scare of a lifetime.

Stalking through the wet sand and making as much noise as he could, Kaiba entered another dark grotto, his eyes adjusting very quickly. The rocks were slanted in on either side, and the water in this shallow pool came up to his stomach.

Sighing, Kaiba leaned tiredly against the rock and cursed his own bad luck.

This was ten pools. Did he want to go further and keep checking?

His calves were aching from his long treks through the sand, and the hot water was very calming against his skin.

 _I'll take a fucking break before I kill myself_ , he thought grumpily, sitting ungracefully in the water and making a large splash around himself.

He gazed out of the tiny cave, seeing miles of ocean before him, obscured slightly by other walls of rock while another warm wave came washing in.

Kaiba settled into the sand and draped his shirt behind his back to keep his skin from scraping on the rough surface, allowing himself to relax just a tiny bit.

He could see why mermaids enjoyed this.  
It was very spa-like.  
The wind was fresh and warm…the water was clean, and the perfect temperature….

Every time a new wave came rushing into the grotto, the sand was disturbed around his legs, causing him to sink deeper and deeper into it.

Warm and content, Kaiba began to feel drowsy as his eyelids grew heavy. This was nice. Now if only Atem was here.

Atem was swimming frantic laps up and down the beach, feeling extremely pent up and frustrated. He had briefly contemplated swimming to Kaiba's private shore but realized the distance would kill him if he swam without pause. His fins would fall off from exhaustion and his punishment would be lengthened because he had clearly tried to violate a rule.

Curling his fists at his sides and feeling his claws dig into his skin, the mer-king decided to swim back to his pool.

It was pointless trying to escape. It was smarter to just bide his time and find the perfect opportunity to sneak out…with the help of Joey and his warrior friends.

Beating his tail heavily through the water, Atem tried to appreciate the change of scenery. It was nice here. The water tasted wonderful, and the moon was full, casting its dreamy glow on the wet rocks.

Popping his head up for air, Atem swam slowly through the shallow water, pausing at the entrance of the cave when he saw another merman napping in his ideal spot.

Extremely annoyed, Atem dove forward quietly, thinking he hadn't seen another man travel with them…so perhaps this was a stranger from a nearby colony.

"Hey!" Atem called, hovering at the entrance of the cave, fanning water towards the sleeping merman. "Get out of my spot! Go find your own."

Kaiba's heart skipped a beat, and he opened his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating, because there was a spiky-haired figure hovering angrily at the front of the cave, bobbing gently up and down against the waves.

"….Atem!" Kaiba cried hoarsely, so stunned, he couldn't move. He had let the waves bury him with sand up to his waist and digging himself out was going to be a chore.

" _King_ Atem to you," Atem said coldly, inching closer to inspect the intruder, and his heart nearly stopped in his chest when he thought he recognized the familiar face.

The merman had pale glowing skin, with a crop of silky light brown hair, paired with high, slanted cheekbones, a strong jaw, and almond eyes…the color which he couldn't discern. It was too dark to see properly, but he could see enough.  
This merman looked like…Seto Kaiba!

Kaiba blinked rapidly, hearing Atem's rapid stream of thoughts and wondered if he ought to feel flattered or offended. Atem thought he was a fish!

"Well, you look…attractive enough," Atem sniffed arrogantly, swishing his tail and leaning against the curve of the rock, an arm's reach away from the mysterious merman. "You may stay."

"Seriously?" Kaiba said, growing numb all over as he slowly began to brush the sand off his legs. "Are you blind?"  
He was going to jump on Atem, and never let go.  
The mer-king looked so beautiful in the moonlight, it was almost eerie. His dark skin seemed to glow, and gold jewelry was sitting perfectly in his tri-colored hair.

Atem heard this thought, and inched away nervously, eyeing the cave's exit, "I'm not interested in mating with you. Please don't come near me."

Kaiba's mouth grew terribly dry, and his stomach wrenched painfully with anger and lust. "What the fuck! After three years of not showing your face, that's what you want to say to me?"

Atem nodded weakly, giving the handsome merman a small smile, "Have we met before in a procession somewhere? You look like…a human I know from another shore. I'm sorry, I don't remember you."

Kaiba's mouth dropped open in disbelief. He listened to the rapid pounding of his heart in his ears before he let out a snarl and rose out of the sand to lunge at Atem, claws extended, and his arms outstretched.

Caught off guard by the sudden movement, the wind was knocked out of Atem the second he was pinned to the wall of the cave, his back scraping painfully against the stone while the handsome merman's face hovered above him, nose-to-nose, his lips curved upwards in a deranged sneer.

"Human from another shore?" Kaiba repeated venomously, baring his teeth and curling his fingertips around Atem's gold-adorned shoulders, shaking with rage and disbelief. "I _am_ that human."  
This was real, right? Was this really happening?  
There was no way he had been _forgotten,_ right?  
Because he had spent every waking moment chasing knowledge, clues, and information pertaining to mer-things, and here was Atem, sitting underneath him with a startled look on his face.

"Seto…Kaiba?" Atem breathed, his chest constricting with pain as he raked his gaze up and down Kaiba's face, and he felt a pair of knees give his hips a painful squeeze.

"Yes. Who the fuck else?" Kaiba growled, his hand sliding up the king's arm, past all the golden armbands, up his neck and stopping to cup his cheeks tightly. "Fuck you." And he pressed his lips down across Atem's slightly parted ones for a passionately furious kiss, enjoying the way his stomach clenched and dipped with happiness when the merman reciprocated joyfully by throwing his arms around his body and pulling him close, his tongue sliding warmly over his teeth and swirling happily at the roof of his mouth.

 _Oh, I've missed this!_ Atem cried ecstatically to himself, thrashing his tail energetically between Kaiba's legs, wanting to feel ankles locked around his back once more. _I want him around me! Closer! Harder than before! How is he here?  
Is this a dream? Am I seeing things?  
Did I eat a bad sea urchin? It's causing me to see visions, but I don't care.  
I know Seto Kaiba is supposed to be on another shore.  
This can't be right…_

Kaiba pulled breathlessly out of the kiss and gazed down into Atem's half-lidded angular eyes, now understanding why Atem hated his thoughts the first few times they had sex.

"You don't believe me." Kaiba said plainly, hovering his lips over Atem's forehead as the merman ran his hands rapidly up and down his toned chest and torso, touching him all over with an odd sense of desperation.

"You're real? Are you real?" Atem whispered, his head spinning with a mixture of arousal and incredulity. "You feel real. This isn't a dream! This can't be—"

"I flew here," Kaiba said seriously, not wanting to talk anymore. "Airplanes and shit. Now shut up and give me three years worth of sex, right the fuck now."

Stunned speechless, Atem nodded happily and pointed at the back of the cave. "We can't be seen…or heard. The mermaids—"

"They're ten pools away, they won't hear anything," Kaiba insisted, grinding his hips forwards energetically and enjoying the thickness of Atem's heated tail between his thighs. "Come on. Now. Less talking. How long can you stay?"

"Forever. I'm staying with you here, forever." Atem grinned.

Kaiba stood suddenly and dragged the mer-king heavily by the arm towards the back of the water-logged cave.

"I'm a prisoner in my own home! I'm miserable!" Atem whispered hoarsely, tears stinging the corners of his eyes as he gazed lovingly up at Kaiba.

Perhaps this _was_ a hallucination from a bad sea urchin.  
This Kaiba spoke like a merperson. Ten pools? What human used words like that?

" _I'm_ miserable because you left me," Kaiba said robotically, pushing Atem against the rock and sitting firmly back down on his tail. He draped his arms over the merman's tanned shoulders and pressed his forehead tightly against Atem's spiky blond bangs, unable to contain himself.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes." Atem replied instantly, without hesitation, and his heart swelled with happiness as he threw himself forward into Kaiba's strong embrace, relishing in the warmth of Kaiba's lips, and the softness of Kaiba's hands as they gave his upper arms slow, loving squeezes while their tongues danced together in a happy greeting. Kaiba tasted…wonderfully fresh. His breath was light, and there was a sinful tang in his breath that was bitter at the end.

Breathless with ecstasy, Kaiba gently dragged open mouthed kisses down Atem's neck and felt the merman sigh happily beneath him.

He listened intently to Atem's thoughts, understanding that the merman liked even the tiniest details about him, and that was extremely flattering to hear.

Atem rested his hands on the edge of Kaiba's belt, and gave it a solid tug before feeling cold hands fumble above his, and the belt came free.

"Can I…have it?" Atem asked breathlessly between the shower of lustful kisses, and Kaiba's voice in his mind was oddly clear.

 _Yes, take whatever you want._

Nodding happily, Atem wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck and sighed contentedly, melting under Kaiba's touch.

Kaiba ran his palms eagerly up and down Atem's length, shivering with excitement. He then hastily kicked his own pants off, intent on sitting directly onto Atem, but to his frustration, tanned hands pressed against his thighs, and the merman blinked prettily at him.

"Slow down!" Atem cried. He was trying to savor every moment, but Kaiba wanted to rush, and rush, to a point where everything became a blur. "Let me touch you…"

Kaiba stiffened, but nodded reluctantly, unable to stop himself from trembling with a mixture of happiness and anticipation. His mind had gone numb and his body was hot. His chest was tight, and his ears were ringing with a strange noise as Atem wrapped both his hands around his arousal and gave it a tentative squeeze, sending an electric jolt of heated pleasure running up and down his legs.

 _Will it fit inside me?_ Atem wondered faintly, and Kaiba froze, feeling a rush of anger when he heard this. He wasn't in the mood to be a giver. He wanted to be fucked…hard. Was that seriously too much to ask for?

"Very well, very well," Atem said hastily, gently nudging Kaiba off his tail and throwing the human an amused smile. "I hear you. Fucked hard."

Kaiba grit his teeth and suppressed another shiver. Yeah. Damn straight.

Atem surged forward and pushed Kaiba down onto the sandy floor of the watery cave, nudging the human's legs apart with his hand and flashing him a fanged grin. "Let me have a taste…so I can know it's really you."

"It is me!" Kaiba hissed, but before he could protest further, Atem dipped his head down underwater between his legs, and Kaiba threw his head back when a wonderful, searing heat engulfed his core and a playful tongue slid suggestively up along his shaft, giving his head a firm suck before consuming him fully once more, sending rapid waves of pleasure reverberating up his spine.

Streams of bubbles and spiky red hair were barely visible underneath the water between his legs, and Kaiba could barely keep his eyes open to watch and save this moment in his mind.

This was…heavenly.

Finally. How many fucking years had he waited for this?

A hot tongue traveled boldly lower, and Atem frowned when his chin hit the sand. Kaiba was sitting too much at an upward angle. Perhaps he needed to be lower?

Hearing this thought, Kaiba obediently inched himself down, scooting forward and gently spreading his legs wider, not caring that the back of his head was scraping painfully against the rock. If Atem was going to lick his asshole, he'd happily die ten times over to relish in the feeling over and over again.

Smirking to himself, Atem buried his nose underneath Kaiba's soft balls, flicking his tongue out over the curved entrance, feeling it clench and tense deliciously every time the tip of his tongue passed over it, very pleased to hear Kaiba's frenzied thoughts.

 _Oh fuck! Please…lower please! Holy fucking shit, yes…!_

Grabbing Kaiba's thighs, Atem pulled them closer to his shoulders and continued in earnest, his own arousal throbbing uncomfortably as the human's knees tightened over his ears almost painfully, and another stream of ecstatic thoughts filled his consciousness.

 _Shove your tongue in there. Do it. Now, do it now!_

Without hesitating, Atem obeyed mindlessly and thrust his tongue forward into Kaiba's heat, growing numb all over with ecstasy when Kaiba's legs tightened around his head once more. He pulled Kaiba closer to himself and lovingly continued, even going as far as licking the soft divide between Kaiba's balls, hearing another delirious shout in his mind.

 _F-Fuck! His mouth feels better than his…_

Kaiba couldn't breathe. The tide had risen, and the water which had been at his chest was now past his neck. Every time Atem pulled him upwards, his head slid lower against the rock, and a wave would rush over his face, almost drowning him, but he didn't care. Atem's hands were hot on his thighs, and his tongue was ramming stiffly inside of him, each thrust causing a violent curl of pleasure in his stomach.

Itching with lust, Atem couldn't hold back anymore, and quickly lowered Kaiba's legs, pressing his stomach tightly against the back of the CEO's ass, barely managing to say, "I'm putting myself here…" before he shoved himself forward and thrust his arousal into Kaiba's tightness, dimly registering that the human's head had disappeared underneath the water. Atem shivered happily and savored the way Kaiba clenched repeatedly around his length as he curled himself forward, trying to hold off an orgasm when Kaiba's hands grabbed at his waist and pulled him forward so strongly, he almost lost his balance in the sand.

Enjoying the thick, burning heat curling inside of him, Kaiba didn't care that his head was fully submerged and that he couldn't breathe anymore.  
Atem's lips were everywhere on his body.  
First, softly grazing his neck, then they traveled across each of his nipples.

There was a sharp sting as Atem grazed his fangs over each peak, and Kaiba spasmed happily, holding his breath until his lungs couldn't take it before opening his mouth to gasp for air, fully prepared to swallow a lungful of water, but to his extreme surprise, all he got was another gulp of air.

Panicking slightly, Kaiba held his breath again and reached up to grab ahold of Atem's forearms, giving them a powerful squeeze, but the merman didn't let him up. Instead, he surged forward and pulled Kaiba into a fiery kiss, his silky tongue curling inside his mouth sensually while his heated tentacle continued to drive him over the edge.

Unable to protest, Kaiba let wave after wave of overwhelming bliss wash over him as he wrapped his arms around Atem's neck to pull him closer, and letting himself sink deeper downwards, feeling the back of his head hitting the sandy bottom with a soft thunk while Atem's overjoyed thoughts filled his mind.

 _This is better than all of my dreams! He is beneath me! His legs are around me! I'll never forget this!_

Kaiba instinctively tightened his legs around the king's hips and bucked himself upwards playfully, his eyes stinging from the sand floating around his head, and he kept his eyes shut, his lungs bursting for air again.

 _I need to breathe soon…_ Kaiba thought faintly, digging his nails into Atem's skin, wondering why the merman was ignoring his requests for air. _Let me up!_

 _Please, hold on a moment longer…like this!_ Atem insisted selfishly, pressing Kaiba's shoulders down into the sand and curling protectively over his body while he gave Kaiba several more furious thrusts, enjoying Kaiba's body moving steadily underneath him with every one of his movements.

The human's face was beautiful underwater in the dim moonlight. His eyes were closed, and his silky light brown hair floated angelically around his face every time the water was disturbed around them.

Gently caressing Kaiba's cheek, Atem bent down to press his lips against Kaiba's slightly parted ones, intent on letting him up for air after this kiss, but to his surprise, strong arms locked around his neck, and their soft kiss lasted an eternity.

Atem sighed contently and felt himself melting. Warm hands roamed up and down his sides, and Kaiba's legs loosened around his waist.

Kaiba took another tentative inhale, and felt sediment go up his nose, but aside from that, he could breathe normally.  
This discovery filled him to the brim with happiness, and he wasted no time, arching himself higher against Atem's muscular body and demanded in his mind, _"Do it harder. Grab my legs and fuck me against this rock. I can take it."_

Tense with worry, Atem shook his head and began to withdraw. He had not planned on orgasming inside of Kaiba, because of what he had read about mer-semen in the books.

 _What the fuck have you been reading? JUST FUCK ME!_ Kaiba yelled angrily, sitting up in a flash and attempting to push Atem down, but an oncoming wave rushed into the cave and his hand slipped off Atem's shoulders.

"Mer-semen poisonous to you! It'll kill you!" Atem said anxiously, and his chest constricted with a strange feeling when a strong hand suddenly wrapped around the base of his arousal and gave it a stifling squeeze, followed by several rapid upward pumps while Kaiba expertly bucked his hips down onto Atem's tip with practiced precision.

Kaiba snickered playfully and pushed back against the rock for support as he felt Atem shiver reluctantly between his legs, and cum. He enjoyed the rush of heat streaming upwards inside him and Kaiba released the merman's tentacle with a triumphant smile.

There.

Horrified, Atem stayed rooted in the sand, swaying as an oncoming wave washed into the cave again. Wh-What…had just happened?!

 _That's what you get, for holding back the entire time._ Kaiba thought spitefully, thumping his heels impatiently against Atem's lower back, addressing him directly. _You already did it once. What's ten more? Come on!_

Slowly composing himself, Atem threw caution to the wind and began to fuck Kaiba in earnest. Kaiba threw his head back and lost himself completely, keeping his arms above his head as a barrier to keep his head from repeatedly hitting the rock every time Atem thrust into him. He was being filled to the brim, again and again. He had orgasmed already but was now lost in an anguishing limbo between too much sensitivity and pleasure.

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba accidentally opened his eyes in the sandy water when he felt Atem convulse involuntarily, and another hot rush of fluids shot up inside him.

There seemed to be no end in sight.  
Atem would drag his hands down his chest, before surging forward for a kiss, before bucking upwards and cumming passionately into his hole, and Kaiba let out a strangled gasp, tightening his legs around Atem's waist, encouraging him to continue.

Atem shut his eyes and his mind hummed wonderfully with joy.  
Kaiba's arms around his body was all he needed.  
Sometimes, after a particularly loving thrust, Kaiba would rake his hands down his sides and grip his hips, his mind begging for him to hold the position until he couldn't anymore; he would cum thickly, his head spinning and his vision turning white, and after composing himself, he would do it all over again.

 _H-How many fucking times can he cum?!_ Kaiba reeled privately, beginning to feel sore. This was strange, uncharted territory, but Kaiba was enjoying himself too much to keep count.

Atem's arms were aching, and he slowed his pace, curling his tentacle out of Kaiba's hole and draping himself lightly over Kaiba's half-erect dick, contenting himself with stroking Kaiba's length with his own, enjoying the way Kaiba's hands kept his cheek pressed against his chest, his heartbeat thundering wildly in his ear.

Amazing.  
Kaiba had stayed submerged for him, and they had finally made love in a comfortable position.

Kaiba shuddered pleasurably as Atem's dick curled around the tip of his arousal and gave it a tortuous squeeze.

 _That fucking hurts,_ Kaiba hissed, locking his ankles around the base of Atem's tail and turning himself onto his side, feeling extremely worn out, but content.

The merman was still stroking his dick teasingly, and Kaiba found that he could barely remain conscious while Atem showered the side of his face with gentle kisses as each coming wave brought a rush of warmth around them.

Atem slowly withdrew and nuzzled his nose into the crook of Kaiba's pale neck, planting a soft kiss on his collarbone, feeling very satisfied while he also began to drift off.

Another wave brought fresh water into the cave and Atem sighed happily, thinking this was the most heavenly experience he'd ever had in his entire life.  
Lovemaking under the full moon, after a nice bath, and the warm water had finally filled the cave…

Atem's eyes shot open and fear stabbed through his core like a cold knife when he realized…. They were fully submerged!

"Kaiba! You need air!" He cried, untangling himself from the human's grasp and shooting up to the surface, attempting to pull Kaiba up with him, but to his horror, his fingertips touched the jagged roof of the cave when he got to the very top.

There was no more air. Water had completely filled the cave.

"Kaiba—!"

 _Shut up! Let me sleep,_ Kaiba growled, yanking his arm out of Atem's grasp and sinking slowly to the bottom again. The sand was so fucking soft, it was like laying on a wool blanket.

"You can't sleep in the water! You'll die!" Atem shouted, giving Kaiba's shoulder a vigorous shake, and he contemplated carrying Kaiba to shore in his arms. He would have to wedge the CEO's limp body through the rocks surrounding this cave…

Kaiba opened his eyes tiredly and managed to throw his legs around the base of Atem's tail again, dragging the merman to the bottom with him with effort, before leaning up to land a playful bite on Atem's neck, hearing him yelp frantically in response.

 _Look, I'm fine,_ Kaiba said lazily in his thoughts, making himself comfortable in the sand and turning onto his side again, keeping Atem trapped beside him. _I guess it worked after all._

Still mildly frightened, Atem curled his claws against Kaiba's bare chest, gazing up at his sleeping face in the dim moonlight, asking desperately, "What worked? ...What worked? Kaiba?! Kaiba!"

He was soundly ignored, and Atem stared at the small stream of bubbles emerging from between Kaiba's lips with rising wonderment. This couldn't be real, could it? Bubbles were coming out of his mouth the way they would with any sleeping merperson!

"Kaiba…please wake up. Let's get you to shore," Atem begged, giving the human's arm a rough shake, but he received an annoyed hiss in response as Kaiba turned over angrily, this time with his back facing him in the water.

Atem stared mutely at Kaiba's sleeping form in the sand beside him for a long moment before he accepted defeat and laid down. He tucked his chin over Kaiba's shoulder, listening intently to Kaiba's steady heartbeats, letting the calming sound lull him to sleep.

This ought to be fine. Kaiba's heartbeats were steady. If there was any stutter at all, he would drag the human back to shore.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Woot woot. Moon bathing is a smashing success, haha get it, smashing. Succ…

Kaiba +1 levels up.  
atem is shook.


	23. Chapter 23

It was getting steadily brighter behind his eyelids, and Kaiba slowly cracked an eye open before closing it again when he saw a mass of red and black hair floating across his vision.

If he woke up, this dream would end, so he drifted off again, enjoying the soft tail brushing over his toes.

Atem felt the water warming up around him and he woke up slowly, blinking in astonishment at Kaiba's peaceful sleeping face beside him.

A dream? No…this was reality!

Glancing around in a sleepy haze, Atem realized with a jolt that they were still underwater, and the tide had buried them in the sand from the waist down. Only tips of his red tail were peeking out before another wave came, carrying more sand with it, and buried his tail once more.

"Kaiba…" Atem whispered, giving the human a shake, watching him frown in his sleep. "Seto Kaiba! Wake up!"

Kaiba opened his eyes reluctantly and found himself staring into a pair of deep angular eyes, and his heart jumped into his throat, rendering him speechless.

Atem?!  
Right, because they had…fucked, and he had passed out…

"You need air!" Atem said firmly, moving to get up, but Kaiba's iron-like grip around his arm kept him down.

 _I'm fine._ Kaiba insisted, giving Atem a mischievous grin. _Ask me how I can breathe underwater. Go ahead. I'll wait._

Aghast, Atem threw his arms around Kaiba's body and pressed his ear against his chest, listening for a steady heartbeat, relieved when he found one.

"How?" Atem breathed, gazing at the colorful rocks that surrounded them in the cave before fixating on Kaiba's bright blue eyes, and his heart swelled magnificently. "Does it hurt?"

Kaiba opened his mouth to say no, but only produced a thick stream of bubbles.

"You can't talk?!" Atem jerked his head back, instantly worried. "Surface, now!"

 _I've been using the scales!_ Kaiba said hastily, giving Atem a weak smile and praying the merman wouldn't overreact to this news. _No one else knows, but I've been testing them on myself, and look! I'm fine!_

Atem stared at the CEO for a long moment before his expression morphed from incredulity to relief in an instant, and he grabbed Kaiba's hands in his, giving them a tight squeeze.

"You're using the dead scales?" Atem asked quietly, hearing his own heartbeat pounding too loudly in his ears. "…Then, was that how you were able to withstand cold water?"

 _Yep_ , Kaiba said arrogantly, leaning comfortably against the rock with a smirk. _See? I told you I could do anything._

"Ra…" Atem breathed, his shoulders shaking with laughter as he threw himself forward to give Kaiba a tight hug. "You really can do anything!"

Kaiba returned the hug with equal vigor and gazed over the tips of Atem's spiky hair, taking in the beautiful golden sunlight streaming through the surface, casting a glow on Atem's tanned shoulders.

 _How long can you stay?_ Kaiba asked, but his question was barreled over by an excited Atem who was asking rapid-fire questions.

"Does this mean you can produce an heir for me? Growing one in a lab the way you said? I need one now, Kaiba! If I produce an heir, my sentence could possibly be shortened!"

 _What?_ Kaiba growled, tightening his hand over Atem's and lacing his fingers in through the top of his hand. _What the fuck kind of antiquated rules are you living by? Who the fuck wants you to have a kid?_

"It would get the Elders off my back," Atem said grimly. "And quite possibly, the entire Council too! They're really looking to me this millennia, and clearly, I've been nothing but a shore-loving disappointment."

 _Ouch,_ Kaiba thought mildly, reaching up to brush his slender fingers through Atem's silky blond hair, enjoying how they floated around his face in the water, making him look almost angelic.

"Well? …Do it for me!" Atem urged, fanning his tail insistently and exposing Kaiba's toes in the sand. "The sooner you do it, the longer we can be together!"

 _Yeah, I could…if Marik Ishtar hadn't stolen the last sample I had_ , Kaiba said angrily, giving Atem a knowing glare. _If you can get me another vial of your jizz, that would be great._

"My jizz," Atem repeated, smiling in amusement. "I'm not sure how I could get that to you."

 _Find a container that has a seal, and cum in it_ , Kaiba said with an impish grin. _Doesn't matter if there's water in it. I can separate it._

"Because you can do anything," Atem said, smiling mischievously in return. "And it's best if you avoided Marik. He's acting on instructions from Isis, my High Priestess, and let's just say…she's not currently on my side right now."

 _Avoid him, got it._ Kaiba thought dully, resting his head on Atem's shoulder and gazing at his bare earlobes _. Hey, why'd you give me your earrings?_

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Atem said heatedly, his cheeks flushing with color. "This was a chance meeting, wasn't it? I thought I'd never see the surface for another century!"

 _You're a king, they can't do that to you,_ Kaiba replied stiffly, but to his dismay, Atem shook his head.

"I don't make all the decisions…" Atem said quietly, noticing how Kaiba's hand tightened over his, and something Mai said to him came rushing out of his mouth. "Kaiba, do you want to give me a ring? Perhaps, one with a diamond?"

 _How about...some earrings...and a fuck,_ Kaiba answered drowsily, still fixated on Atem's bare earlobes, thinking they looked weird without jewelry. _Did you give me your only pair? Why the fuck would you do that?_

"Because I love you," Atem replied, almost angrily. "And if possible, I want to have you as my Mate for Life, but we don't practice that anymore as a species."

 _Yeah?_ Kaiba said with a dry smile. _You've got 'dying species' problems._ _I guess if I could grow you a bunch of little mer-babies, you'd be off the hook._

"You'd hook off my entire species," Atem said seriously, attempting to use human slang, and he earned a hearty laugh from Kaiba that made his cheeks grow warm.

 _I'll try,_ Kaiba promised, pressing his lips tightly against the corner of Atem's mouth and feeling the merman smile. _Let's fuck again._

"You don't need…air?" Atem asked nervously, eyeing the morning sun streaming in from the surface above them near the entrance of the cave. "We'd better not. Someone might—"

 _Ateeeeeeeeeeeeeem!_

Kaiba winced when he heard a high-pitched voice screaming for the king, and Atem threw him a knowing look, his violet eyes slightly wide with panic.

 _That's Mana!_ Atem thought anxiously, wiggling out of the sand and gently patting it back down around Kaiba's legs. _Thank Ahti you can breathe underwater, and you look like a merman from the waist up. Stay quiet._

 _Please don't fucking leave for another three damn years._ Kaiba growled, grabbing onto Atem's gold-adorned arm and pulling him into a rough kiss, feeling Atem resist for a millisecond before giving in fully and giving him a passionate, lingering kiss.

"Atem! Oh—"

Mana skidded to a halt and pressed a hand over her mouth, her stomach clenching strangely when she saw Atem kissing the beautiful merman she had seen last night.

The pale merman's clawed hands were threaded through Atem's spiky hair, and Mana wondered if she should cover her eyes when she spotted long waterfalls of claw marks going up and down Atem's bare back.

They had made love!

"I-It's time to go…" Mana said weakly, looking over her shoulder at no one behind her in an attempt to stop staring, but her eyes snapped right back to the pale merman's hands wrapped around Atem's shoulders.

 _I need to leave…_ Atem thought sadly, and Kaiba's grip tightened in his hair demandingly while a hot tongue grazed his lower lip and his angry voice filled his head.

 _We spent too much goddamn time talking!_

"C-Come visit us in th-the Kingdom of Muran…if you'd like to see Atem," Mana ventured, wondering if she was being heard, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment when the men showed no signs of stopping.

She cleared her throat nervously, and followed up with, "Solomon would love to meet you."

Kaiba felt Atem tense and gently pull out of the kiss, and his stomach swooped oddly at the sudden loss of contact.

 _Solomon?_ Kaiba wondered, not bothering to keep his thoughts to himself. _King Solomon VII or whatever?_

"You've heard of him?" Atem said, unable to hide his surprise and Mana swam forward bravely, invading their space.

"Yes! King Solomon VII!" She said earnestly, looking clearly into the handsome merman's pale face for the first time, and her heart skipped a beat in her chest.

"Who is retired…and is my grandfather," Atem growled, hovering protectively over where Kaiba's legs which were still buried in the sand, and Kaiba swallowed thinly.

Oh shit. King Solomon had to be really fucking old because he had come across that name in the mer-fanatic's blog when reading about the eruption of Mount Kolumbo.

"Are you a Scholar?" Mana asked with wide eyes, floating daringly closer to the blue-eyed merman. "You sound like one…and, you're very quiet."

"Please, leave us be, Mana," Atem said hastily, gently pushing Mana away from Kaiba, who was gazing into her face with an oddly blank expression. This was Kaiba's first encounter with a mermaid, and Atem knew Mana's beauty was enchanting.

"And yes, my grandfather is quite old. He's the last of my living family, so I must respect his wishes." Atem nodded, giving Kaiba a smile, grateful that the CEO understood his struggles when communicating with the old man.

 _So he's the one who is imposing these ridiculous rules. How is he not dead?_ Kaiba asked rudely, knowing the answer immediately, and Mana gasped, looking deeply offended.

"What has he done to you?" Mana cried, growing slightly disenchanted with the handsome merman. "Were you alive during The Eruption? He _saved_ us! How dare you—"

"Mana, please, he's not from around these waters," Atem said, rushing to Kaiba's defense and privately wishing he could've somehow kept Mana from meeting Kaiba.

"What is your name? What colony are you from?" Mana demanded, blushing redder and redder by each passing second. "Who do you answer to?"

 _Can't say, can't say, and it's none of your damn business_ , Kaiba sang gleefully, and Mana's eyes widened with fear.

"Atem…do _you_ know his name?" She cried, grabbing onto the king's arm and beginning to drag him away. "He sounds dangerous! Let's leave!"

"I want to stay with him a bit longer," Atem said anxiously, trying to shake her off, and he lied quickly off the top of his head. "He can't tell me his name or colony...because…he's a Warrior on an Assignment."

Spending time with Joey was paying off. It was helping him lie and conceal his thoughts better than he ever could before, even managing to fool Mana.

Mana let go of Atem's arm and her mouth dropped open in surprise before she bent forward in a pretty bow, the tips of her ears red. "…O-Oh! Thank you for your service."

 _Oh you fucking bet,_ Kaiba smirked, eyeing the hand-strung jewelry floating around her neck above her large breasts. _I'm going to make so many fucking mer-babies for you—_

 _Hilarious!_ Atem cut across Kaiba with a glare that said, 'shut up', and Kaiba fell silent immediately. "Let me have a day with him, Mana."

"I promised Mahad I'd bring you back by sundown…today," Mana said sadly, throwing a gaze over her shoulder at the bright waters behind them. "Our journey will take most of the day. If we don't come back on time…I'm not sure they'll never trust me to journey alone with you again."

 _Mahad? Tell that fucker I said 'hi',_ Kaiba said, his anger rising at the familiar name, and Atem sensed a fight brewing between Mana and Kaiba, so he hastily grabbed Mana by the arm and steered her to the entrance of the cave.

"What has Mahad done to you?!" Mana cried, her voice rising shrilly and echoing in the watery cave. "You know him too? Of course you do! Tell me, what—"

"Mana…Mana," Atem said firmly, gazing into her eyes and giving her a little shake, "Give us a few heartbeats of time. I really need to speak with him privately, and then I'll come right out. I swear on it."

"I-I'll go, and I'll wait," Mana said shakily, throwing the handsome merman a suspicious look before swimming away obediently.

Atem waited until the bubbles disappeared from the water behind her, and he dove angrily towards Kaiba, hovering inches from the CEO's nose, hating the dazed look on his face. "You're frightening her with how much you know!"

 _'I saw a mermaid with huge boobs, Seto!'_ Kaiba thought faintly, using Mokuba's voice in his head. _Was that her?_

"Yes," Atem growled through clenched teeth. "Don't go chasing after her now. Do you think she's prettier than me?"

Kaiba let out a laugh, and a thick bubble of air escaped his mouth as he did so.

 _Are you shitting me right now,_ King _Atem?_ Kaiba thought playfully, giving Atem a boyish grin, and he reached up to lace his fingers through Atem's open hand. _I love you because you say hilarious shit like this. I spent the last three years getting closer to you. I think I've achieved that._

"Yes, yes indeed you have," Atem whispered hoarsely, gripping Kaiba's hand tightly in his own and wishing he would never have to let go. "I don't know how much time will pass between us until the next time we meet. My heart…hurts. I can't bear to think about it."

 _We'll always find each other._ Kaiba said firmly, rising out of the sand and feeling Atem nearly squeeze the blood out of his hands while they gazed deeply into each other's eyes.

"Y-yes…I know where to find you," Atem said, faltering greatly when tears welled unexpectedly in the corners of his eyes. "But if I don't appear, please move on with your life..."

 _No. I don't agree to those terms._ Kaiba thought viciously, tucking his legs underneath him in a formal sitting position as he pulled Atem closer and watched a glittering tear fall to the bottom of the sandy floor.

"Then I don't know what to do!" Atem raged, hating that he was somehow crying in earnest now. "The mermaids say I should let you live your life, but I see the way Mana looks at you like a potential Mate, and I can't feel happy for you!"

 _Then wait for me,_ Kaiba said firmly, shaking with disbelief at what he was about to say next. _I'll find my way to you. I can do it. If I can grow a mermaid in a test tube, I'll have a lab-made Chrysalis in my hands. I'll do it, even if it means I don't do anything the fuck else with the rest of my life._

"You'd be...wasting your life…" Atem said, his throat closing up with emotion as Kaiba shook his head, his hair floating up around his cheeks, making him look more handsome than ever.

 _ATEMMMM!_

Mana was calling from afar, and both men gazed panic-stricken at each other.

 _My life, my rules._ Kaiba fumed, not letting go of Atem's hands when he felt the merman begin to pull away. _What's the thing you said? Mate for Life? Consider it done. Marry me. Agree to do it. Say 'yes'._

 _Yes! I agree to it all!_ Atem thought miserably, hating the gut-wrenching sadness in his chest _. I already know there's no merman or mermaid in this entire ocean who could replace you!_

 _Damn right,_ Kaiba managed a half smile, and he felt a rush of triumph coupled with a pang of sorrow as Atem's hands slid out of his. _Your mermaid friend is calling._ _See you in a few hundred years._

 _Don't you dare joke about that!_ Atem flushed deep red, and Kaiba let out another delirious laugh, feeling his own eyes sting and heat up with unshed tears.

He was about to ask for a kiss that he could remember for the rest of time, but Atem had already read his mind and had thrown himself into his arms, his teeth scraping desperately along his lower lip as their breaths mingled in the water in a frenzied but loving kiss, and Kaiba shut his eyes, vividly stamping every moment in his memory.  
He wouldn't know when he would ever feel these Atem against his body again so he would cling viciously onto every precious sensation.

Atem's lips on his…Atem's tongue swirling against his own…Atem's clawed hands in his hair, and Atem's warm tail between his legs.

 _ATEM?! I'm coming in to get you!_ Mana's worried cries shattered their atmosphere, and Atem pulled away first with his brow furrowed.

He pressed a warm palm against Kaiba's cheek, caressing his face gently as he spoke. "Think of me. I love you."

 _I love you too,_ Kaiba said, thankful that he wasn't opening his mouth to speak, because he wasn't sure if he could anymore. His heart was being torn in two, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

He watched with a deep sorrow as Atem remembered to pick the belt up from the sand and throw it over his shoulder before swimming through the entrance of the cave, his red tail glinting magnificently in the sunlight as he gave Kaiba one last forlorn look over his shoulder. He turned the corner and disappeared, leaving nothing but a thin stream of bubbles behind him.

Suddenly feeling very alone, Kaiba sat very still, trying to gather himself together, doing his very best not to cry. No more crying. Crying had really gotten him nowhere last time.

Actions were what mattered, and Atem's words confirmed his feelings a thousand-times over. It was a bittersweet triumph.

Kaiba bent forward and hastily sifted through the sand, gathering up all of Atem's glittering tears in his palm the best he could, but his vision was blurry with his own tears.

He blindly patted around his knees, picking up every rounded gem he could find, and he rubbed his eyes fervently, composing himself. His palm was almost filled to the brim with gems, and his chest was impossibly tight.

It was really time for some air. He didn't know how long he had been underwater.

His clothes were also nowhere to be found. Damn.

Kicking off the ground, Kaiba swam through the water with urgency, curving around the large rocks that surrounded the entrance of the cave before he found a good open space to pop his head up for air.

He flipped wet hair out of his eyes and opened his mouth to breathe, but to his horror, his lungs constricted, and no air entered his lungs. His chest felt like exploding, and Kaiba sank underwater, trying not to panic as he took a deep breath, realizing he could still breathe when submerged.

His heart pounded furiously in his chest as he swam slowly to shore, and he alternated between popping his head up for air and dipping beneath the surface again when his lungs didn't seem to want oxygen.

Fuck. What if he had fucked shit up, and he would have to wear a tank on his head forever because he had slept an entire night underwater with Atem?

 _Worth it_ , Kaiba growled, trying to stem his fear as his lungs didn't seem to want to take another breath of air.

He hovered under water for a solid minute, breathing shallowly and wondering if he would pass out on the beach. Whatever. He needed to make the transition somehow, and putting it off while breathing the air in the water wasn't going to make things easier.

Gathering his courage, Kaiba used long, powerful strokes to fight the waves crashing against him, and finally, he reached shallow water where his toes touched the sand. He let a giant wave wash him to shore, managing to perfectly mimic Atem's technique, and he rolled onto his side in the sand, his lungs constricting with effort as he wheezed and gasped for air.

Curling his left hand tightly around the gems, Kaiba's vision turned red, green, and then pulsed white as he slowly suffocated.

Damn…damn…damn!  
He was going to die like this.  
Naked, and alone on this beach.  
Not humiliating at all.

Suddenly, a tanned hand appeared in his vision, holding a dark green mass of something wiggling and slimy.

Kaiba managed to push himself up on all fours to stare at the person holding it, his vision blurring in and out as his brain and lungs screamed for air.

It was a beautiful woman with colorful beads in her hair, making a cupping motion to her mouth with the disgusting clump of as if to say, _'eat it!'_

Kaiba swiped it from her hand and shoved the wet mass inside his mouth and swallowed forcefully, his ears ringing with a horrible noise as his body confused violently and he vomited a giant lungful of water the instant the slimy clump landed in his stomach.

Disgusted, he took a deep gasping breath, feeling air rush into his lungs in one deep surge, and he coughed, his throat burning terribly.

Before Kaiba could raise his head to thank his savior, bile came rushing up rapidly, and he vomited again, but this time, it was greenish, and oddly shiny with an unpleasant stench.

"Tsk," the woman made a noise, shaking her head with sympathy. "Young warriors like you are always popping up on this shore forgetting your slugmutt. This is how you all die before completing your first Assignment."

Unable to say thank you, Kaiba decided to keep his pride and cover his modesty with his hand.

The woman let out a barking laugh and rose to her feet, walking away quickly while calling over her shoulder, "I have clothes! Don't worry yourself, I've seen it many times already! Yours is not that ugly!"

 _Another mermaid?_ Kaiba thought excitedly, feeling a rush of vicious triumph coupled by a familiar wave of nausea. And whatever the fuck 'slugmutt' was, he needed a fuckton of it if he was going to be in and out of the water like this.

Slowly gathering his bearings, Kaiba took deep shuddering breaths, wondering if Mahad had vomited and suffocated like this when he rose to shore with legs. Probably.

Footsteps were approaching, and Kaiba froze on the spot, scanning the rocks for a hiding place. If another person who wasn't Atem saw him naked, he might just die of embarrassment.

"Oh relax," the woman called, appearing from another side of the rock and in her arms, she carried a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. "You read the map correctly. Did your Commander not tell you I was going to be here? Or are they one of those, ' _you'll learn the hard way'_ types?"

Kaiba opened and closed his mouth, after deciding to say nothing that would give him away. Something was odd though. She wasn't speaking Japanese, or English, or Spanish…but he could understand her.

"A Warrior who is a little rusty with his merspeak?" she asked curiously, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she held the clothes away and out of arm's reach. "Speak. Identify yourself! Name and colony! I see no Markings on your body!"

 _Shiiiiit_ , Kaiba kept his face impassive as his mind spun quickly. He could technically say Kingdom of…Muran. Wait, shit. He wasn't supposed to say anything. Mission failed.

"Technically?" The woman took a hesitant step towards him and tossed the clothes at him and turned around to give him privacy. "Very well, Undercover Warrior from, technically, the Kingdom of Muran. Your merspeak is sufficient. Now get off my beach, and you're welcome."

Kaiba scrambled to put the clothes on, slightly amazed that they fit, and he dismissed the fact that it was a t-shirt bearing a garish tourist logo as he jumped to his feet to chase after her.  
She was the fountain of knowledge, whoever she was.

"Don't! Don't follow me!" She shrieked, weaving through the rocky structures trying to get away from him. "I don't want to mate! Go find a pretty young girl on another shore!"

 _I like men!_ Kaiba shouted mentally, racing after her on weak legs. _And come back! I need more of that shit…that slagmutt!_

She stumbled in the sand and threw him a frantic look over her shoulder, her beads clicking in her hair as she skidded to a halt.

"You don't know what it's called? What kind of Undercover Warrior are you?" She shook her head frantically, turning pale with fear. "Stay away! I don't know you! I've helped you enough! You may thank me by leaving me alone!"

"I'm human!" Kaiba said, choosing to speak English. "I'm human…believe me."

"That is what all merpeople say when they've surfaced!" She said, shaking her head fervently and inching around another tall pillar of rock, visibly trembling with fear. "Stand there, and don't come after me, or I'll cast a curse on your legs!"

She turned and ran off at full speed while Kaiba stood very still, wondering if mermaids could really do that. Blood pacts were a thing, so witchcraft and spellcasting were part of the same…genre of shit?

Realizing that he had been tricked, Kaiba let out a growl and took leaping strides through the sand, trying to find her footsteps in order to find her.

He didn't know what part of the beach this was anymore. All that mattered was he find her and learn everything about her and what she knew. If 'young warriors' were often 'popping up on this shore', that meant a Chrysalis was near!

Kaiba paused to catch his breath, growing dizzy. Too much running, too soon. He bent forward and braced himself on his knees, taking slow breaths, willing the bright spots in his vision to fade.  
He felt faint.

Closing his eyes briefly, he perked his ears up and listened for any new sounds of movement or thoughts, but all he heard was silence.

Disappointed and disgruntled, Kaiba eyed his surroundings and stepped over the rocks to walk closer to shore. He could make his way back easier if he followed the edge of the water.

Sighing, he tried his best to keep replaying his last moments with Atem in his mind to help cope with the crushing pang of loneliness in his chest.

* * *

Mana's movements were oddly energetic, and Atem swam glumly forward, attributing her uplifted mood with the wonders of moon bathing.

It hadn't even been a thousand heartbeats and he missed Seto Kaiba's warmth.

"You're thinking about him again…!" Mana cried, doing a twirl at his side and giving him a sympathetic frown. "What about that pretty merman you just mated with? He left so many love-markings all over your body, you look like Warrior! Mahad and Solomon are going to be so proud…!"

 _And proud of me for helping him find someone he likes_ , Mana thought privately, congratulating herself.

"Ah...yes, him." Atem said, his ears burning with a strange heat. "He reminded me of Seto Kaiba."

"That's your ideal type now isn't it?" Mana said knowingly with a smile. "Brown hair and blue eyes. Did he say he would come visit? I know he's probably a traveling Warrior…but did he promise to make time to see you?"

"He said he couldn't say," Atem replied dully, already scheming for new ways he could communicate with Kaiba. "He couldn't say much."

"That's most Warriors for you," Mana said thoughtfully, "His thoughts were rather rough, but I'm sure if he talked, it would be completely different. Ever heard Mahad's thoughts? He's vile! They sound almost the same." Mana giggled, and Atem swallowed thinly, managing a tight nod.

"Since he's traveling, you probably caught him at a peak Mating time," Mana said dipping forward in the water and giving Atem a warm smile. "My peak is coming soon. Perhaps I could mate with him the next time he comes by? Would he want that?"

Atem felt his stomach clench unpleasantly, and he managed to keep his face impassive as he replied, "I'm not sure, Mana. Again, he didn't say."

"Well I would love to do that," Mana said with a huff, doing another twirl in the water beside him. "I saw him first, you know? He was sitting alone in a pool behind us, and I chased him away! Ah, now I wish I hadn't…"

Atem grit his teeth and said nothing.

"But I'm glad you got to Mate with him," Mana continued, looking for any excuse to continue talking about the pretty merman. "He looks like fun. I've never had a merman leave marks on me. They're all too…polite. Hey, was it fun?"

Mana glanced over at Atem, disappointed to find that the king was ignoring her.

"Atem…are you angry with me?" Mana pouted, noticing a frown creeping over Atem's brow. "I won't tease you about the human Seto Kaiba anymore…I'm sorry."

Atem bit back a sigh.  
He was bursting to tell Mana the truth because he wasn't sure how long he could live with hiding it from her anymore. Or maybe it was because Mana was so obviously attracted to Kaiba, it made him uncomfortable.

"…His movements were very quick. I turned around to look, and he was gone!" Mana said, breathless and bright-eyed, still rambling about Kaiba. "Ever seen such a pale merman? What colony do you think he's from? The only other one that comes to mind is—"

"That man _was_ Seto Kaiba," Atem blurted, clenching his fists at his sides as he swam forwards intently, following the crowd of merpeople's tails in the distance before them.

"Seto Kaiba is a Warrior living on land?!" Mana gasped, misunderstanding completely. "It is no wonder he knows Mahad! Perhaps it is no wonder he knows about The Eruption but doesn't know that you are Solomon's grandson! Oh that makes sense! His thoughts make sense now!"

"No, Mana…no," Atem began awkwardly, but Mana showed no signs of stopping.

"…And his request for dead scales is nothing but short of disgusting. He probably asked for it _because_ it's disgusting, and he did it torture Mahad, who he's probably had a fight with! Oh, but he looks so young! He must have been sent up to land as a hatchling, before Solomon implemented the decree to stop the abuse of hatchings who wanted to become Warriors!"

"He's human, Mana," Atem said stiffly, but Mana seemed to be in a world of her own, spinning a wild story about Kaiba's past aloud while she swam beside him.

"He sounds like Scholar, but acts like a Warrior, and Mates like one too, but has no Markings! Atem, oh, he must have a highly trained past!"

"Pretty sure he's human," Atem replied blandly, no longer interested in humoring Mana. "Acts vile enough to be human. You've met his brother, remember?"

"But they look nothing alike!" Mana gasped, slowly piecing together information for herself. "The child was barbaric! Was that merman really Seto Kaiba, and not another merman going by the same name?!"

"Yes, and he's human," Atem said, growing tired of repeating himself, and he swam faster, eager to get away from Mana for a while so he could be alone with his thoughts.

Mana zoomed forward and stuck annoyingly by his side, raining questions down upon him nonstop, "But if he's human, how did he breathe under the water? How did you Mate without air? Humans can only hold their breath for about 110 heartbeats…!"

"Well…I met him on land while in captivity, and he's always had a pair of legs," Atem fumed, now wishing Mana would leave him alone. "He's acted human enough, and he's never given me a reason to believe otherwise."

He swam forward quickly again, but Mana caught up with him easily, and she gave him an imploring look.

"Don't feel angry that he deceived you…" she said, sounding deeply sympathetic. "Perhaps it was part of his Assignment. You never know. Mahad told me this, and it's to never blame yourself for the lies a Warrior tells you while he is on shore!"

"For the last time, Mana," Atem slowed to a furious stop and gazed into her eyes firmly. "He's human."

"We're all a little bit human," Mana said amicably, looping her arm through Atem's and pulling him along gently. "I'm glad I got to meet him. I understand why you love him like a Mate."

Atem fell silent once more and said nothing. The moment he got back, the first thing he wanted to do was visit the mermaids in Confinement and tell them about this meeting.

Mai and Anzu had picture proof of Seto Kaiba as a child. There was no way Kaiba was ever a hatchling, and even so, no hatching was ever sent to land at that young of an age. Atem knew there was one thing about Seto Kaiba that proved him to be irrevocably human, and it was the fact that he aged like one.

A hatchling at that age would remain that age on land for at least several centuries.

He had read about them in the books, learning that humans murdered some hatchlings because they never aged, and it frightened them.

The ones that weren't killed were hailed as Gods, and that was when Solomon issued the decree banning hatchlings from being sent to shore.

Atem was extremely sure that Seto Kaiba was _not_ a merman in disguise, but if Mana wanted to think so, she could.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

oh smackaroonies! This was a bit of a short chapter im sorryyyy! i'll try to make the next one longer!

comments and reviews are my fuel!

xo  
Ugli


	24. Chapter 24

Kaiba held the books in his arms and hastily walked through the hallway as if he belonged there. Throwing a fervent look over his shoulder, he made sure no one saw him leaving Marik's office as he hurried away.

He had stolen several books to help further aid his research in making a mer-baby in a test-tube because the internet wasn't providing enough accurate information.

The one source he knew that could be remotely reliable was Marik Ishtar.

Atem had told him to avoid Marik…and he had done just that, by only visiting the merman's office to steal information while he was out teaching a class.  
This was totally justifiable.  
The university was open to everyone, and as a professor, it was Marik's duty to educate the public.

 _I am the public_ , Kaiba thought furiously, dashing to his car and throwing himself inside. Mission accomplished.

He tossed the books into the passenger seat and turned the key in the ignition, taking great pleasure in the roar of the engine. Ah, the sound of progress.

* * *

Atem swam slowly behind Mana, completely disinterested in the marketplace stalls and what they had to offer.

"Come, look at these!" Mana pulled Atem over to another seaweed tent where a couple of mermaids were displaying their handwoven baskets. "Look! There are shells woven in the kelp. Oh, it looks so pretty…"

Atem nodded stiffly and let his gaze drift around the crowded marketplace halfheartedly. Everything had lost its luster because Kaiba wasn't here by his side, also enjoying the sights.

"BOO!"

Atem staggered forward as he was pushed roughly, and he spun around to see Joey grinning at him, carrying a warrior's spear at his side.

"Joey!" Atem smiled, his spirits lifting slightly at the sight of his friend.

"Yo! Came by to see ya, and they said you's here!" Joey said loudly, earning several annoyed stares from neighboring stalls. A shy mermaid's face peeked out from behind Joey's shoulder and disappeared quickly.

"C'mon, baby sis, say 'hi'," Joey said gently, reaching behind his back trying to grab his sister's arm. "That's no way to say hi to a king…c'mon."

Atem smiled warmly at her, "Shizuka?"

"She prefers Serenity, ain't that right?" Joey said, floating aside in an attempt to get her to stop hiding, but she let out a squeak and dove behind his back again. "Eh, don't mind her."

Mana appeared by Atem's side, carrying a small basket in her arms, and she bowed politely at Joey, "Warrior Jounouchi. Thank you for your service."

"Look, a girl friend…!" Joey said, swimming quickly to Atem's side and leaving Serenity floating awkwardly in the middle of the marketplace path. "We're gonna hang out—guys only. See ya later ladies!"

Atem let Joey grab him by the arm and drag him away from a red-faced Serenity and a confused-looking Mana. He managed to wave lightly at Mana, and she waved back uncertainly before turning to face Serenity with a beaming smile.

"Is she going to be okay?" Atem asked nervously, feeling them make a turn and float to a stop behind a large tent. "Your sister, with Mana?"

"Yeah yeah, don't worry about her too much, she's just got a little crush on you," Joey said with a wide grin. "She saw you passin' by when we's just kids, and she thought you were really cool with your hair'n everything."

"Ah…" Atem said awkwardly, and he fell silent, unsure of how to react.

"So," Joey said, rapidly switching into thoughts mid-sentence. _I asked my buddies if they had broken their pacts yet, and no one has! Rumor has it that the only warrior who has broken a Chrysalis pact this century is Warrior Mahad. Ya know him?_

 _Mahad, my bodyguard. That is the same Mahad,_ Atem replied anxiously, watching Joey's eyes widen with respect and awe.

 _Aw crap, then this is gonna be a real challenge fer us,_ Joey said, scratching his head lightly. _Me and buddies, we wrote it down and everything. We can't figure it out_.

 _Then we'll decipher it slowly,_ Atem shook his head sadly. _In the meantime, I need to find any human container with a seal. Seto Kaiba requested I bring him one…or several._

 _Like, trash?!_ Joey asked, biting back a laugh, and he nodded at a few mermaids swimming by, arm in arm, blushing and giggling as they waved at him. _Make him pick up his own trash!_

 _No_ , Atem said awkwardly, unsure how to even begin explaining it. _He wants a sample of my…essence. It's complic—_

 _YUCK, WOW!_ Joey rolled over onto his back and let out a peal of laughter. _You two are somethin' else, really._

Atem let Joey laugh, feeling the tips of his ears growing warm with embarrassment, but to his relief, his friend smiled at him once more.

 _Don't worry. I gotcha! There's a lady here who sells human trinkets. Let's go find her._

Joey turned and swam down the wide path, dodging people easily, so Atem dove after him, following closely behind, waving awkwardly to the people who called out to him and bowed as he passed

"King Atem!" A small boy with green hair waved energetically at him, hanging onto a hand of another merman, and Atem waved back hastily before he hurried to catch up with Joey.

A strong arm wrapped around his and pulled him steadily through the throngs of merpeople crowded around each stall, and Atem was instantly grateful for Joey's guidance.

They reached the very end of the marketplace path, and Joey pointed at a shabby seaweed tent draped haphazardly upon several boat masts.

"I forgot her name," Joey said unhelpfully, swimming boldly closer to the dark tent and peering inside. "Knock knock! Anyone home?"

Atem gazed apprehensively at the human tables set up in the sandy floor of the tent, littered messily with trinkets. There was an odd scent in the air, and a strange contraption with spinning blades was humming quietly in the far back of the tent, but no one seemed to be minding the tables.

"Hullo?" Joey called dully again, and Atem drifted through the messy tent, spying a familiar object caught underneath a metal cup. He pulled it out and held it up curiously. It was a tie.

"That's not for sale," a voice hissed at him, and Atem dropped the tie, startled.

A white-haired merman emerged from behind a curtain of seaweed in the back, and he pointed a long claw at Atem, neglecting to bow. "…Your _Majesty._ What brings you into my…humble abode? Would you like a bottle of spirits? For you, my … _king_ , the price is two sapphires."

Atem hastily backed away to float safely beside Joey, now thankful that his warrior friend had brought a weapon, because this white-haired merman looked like a criminal. He had a long, jagged scar running down one side of his face, and he was wearing a human garment on his upper body while his violet pupils glowed unpleasantly in the semi-darkness.  
There was a golden ornament hanging around his neck, secured with a thick strand of what looked like braided hair, and the merman seemed quite proud of it.

"W-Whoa…uh, where's the lady who runs this place? Didja kill her?" Joey asked nervously, sending Atem a quick thought. _Bad news. If something goes wrong, you swim away first. I'll take him._

"I'm insulted. King Atem was too frightened to come see me himself, so he had to bring a _pet_ ," the white-haired merman spat, glaring daggers at Joey and ignoring the question entirely.

Atem swallowed thinly and pointed at the tie, "How much?"

 _Dude, no!_ Joey thought anxiously, gently nudging the king with his elbow, but Atem ignored him. If he showed interest in this man's product, he could form a friendship…and everyone would benefit from this.

"Wait, I forgot my manners," the merman said, giving Atem an elaborate bow. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. You may call me Bakura."

 _What kinda crazy-town name is that?_ Joey said suspiciously, and Atem shook his head tightly, giving the merman, Bakura, a polite nod.

"I'm looking for something, Bakura, perhaps you can help me," Atem said anxiously, feeling Joey curl a hand around his forearm, getting ready to drag him out of the tent.

"You've come to the right place!" The merman grinned a fang-glinting smile and floated higher above the tables, his white hair glowing eerily around his face. "I am a Finder of Things, Keeper of Things, a Merchant of All Things, A Retriever—"

"So, a thief," Joey said blandly, his grip tightening around Atem's tanned arm. "Yeah we don't do business with thieves."

"I'm a _Merchant_. I sell what I find…most of which…" the merman kept the leery grin plastered on his face, "…is trash, as you can see. Now, what do you seek? King Atem, don't let this mongrel address me directly again."

"Mongrel?" Joey's eyes widened before they narrowed in anger. "Ya wanna fight, you white-haired freak?"

"A flask, or a container with a seal!" Atem said, throwing an arm across Joey's chest, feeling his friend vibrating with anger. "Please give us that, and we will leave quickly."

Bakura's smile melted off his face and was replaced with a scowl. "Perhaps you want a bottle of spirits instead? I hear the palace guards love a good drink. Or did you want a picture frame? I have those, made of metal and wood."

Atem shook his head and declined, "A container with a seal, please. And…lipstick, if you have it."

 _A what?_ Joey thought faintly, and Bakura's face split into a grin again.

"Ah…for a pretty mermaid in your life, King Atem?" He asked, floating upside down with a mean look in his eye. "Sorry, but lipsticks are in short supply. I only have one, but you can have it, because you are… _my king_."

"Oh, gee thanks, we'll take it and go," Joey said, his voice rising in volume to hide his fear.

Bakura let out a deranged, full-bellied laugh and slowly dove down to pull open the moss-covered drawers of a large closet behind him, filling the tent with the sound of loud rummaging.

Atem gave Joey a thankful look. His friend grimaced, his eyes darting to the door and back while thinking, _"Time to go while he's not looking! Crazy-Town is bad news!"_

 _He can help me!_ Atem replied stubbornly, and just as the thought left his mind, Bakura let out a triumphant shout.

"Ah HA!" The white merman shot upwards in the water and zoomed towards Atem, stopping just centimeters from his face with another wide grin.

"I've found it. Just for you…a wide selection."

He dropped the glass bottles out of his arms and let them land on the sandy floor of the tent with a muffled thunk, and he eyed Joey's spear.

"I'll give you an emerald for your spear, Mongrel," Bakura rasped, already reaching a clawed hand for it. "You would like that, wouldn't you? An emerald?"

"Heck no!" Joey jerked his spear back angrily. "I'll be penalized for losing a weapon! What're you gonna do with a spear anyway? And you didn't answer my first question. Isn't there a lady—"

"That old bat shares this tent with me," Bakura said, pointing at the empty glass bottles on the ground. "We have an agreement. Every half-moon, we switch."

"That's not legal," Joey said instantly, and Bakura laughed obnoxiously in his face.

Atem frantically scanned the bottles beneath his fins, not seeing anything that had a seal similar to Kaiba's sample vials. These were mostly empty cork-topped liquor bottles and oddly shaped teapots.

"These aren't what I'm looking for," Atem said, addressing Bakura halfway through more of his laughter. "Do you have anything with a seal that does this…?" He made a turning motion with his hand, and the merman's eyes widened.

"Ah…a cap! Or a lid…some type of screwed top," Bakura mumbled, tucking a hand under his chin and looking thoughtful. "A real challenge! For you, my king, I'll find one—or several, for the price of three diamonds. Payment upfront."

"THREE?!" Joey cried, shaking his head fervently and tugging at Atem's arm. "Nope. Rip off. Let's go."

"Done deal," Atem said readily. He had been prepared to pay any outrageous price to fulfill this request. "And the tie, and the lipstick."

"Ohhoo, you're buying me out, King Atem!" Bakura crowed, doing an odd flip in the water that made the golden ring on his neck tangle in his white hair. "The lipstick, which is the _only one I have_ , will only set you back two rubies, and one sapphire."

"You said he could have it!" Joey interjected, glaring at the white-haired merman with deep dislike. "Or is your word not your bond?"

"I'm bound by the riches found in human garbage," Bakura said proudly, and Joey made a disgusted face. "Do you see here? Your king is paying me three diamonds for my services!"

"How about four?" Atem suggested seriously. "For all of it. And perhaps you can send a message for me too? You'd have to travel to shore."

 _Holy friggin' smokes! Atem, you can't trust this guy!_ Joey cried, his voice in his mind causing Atem to wince slightly, but Atem barreled on with his request.

"I'll give you a map. If you can make sure you're not seen…and you must promise not to steal anything you see on that shore," Atem said, gazing intently into the other merman's angular eyes. "Please. This is very important to me. If you can accomplish this without being detected, you'll become very rich. There is a human on that shore who will give you anything you ask for."

 _"Anything?!"_ Bakura dove forward again, looking very interested. "Then there's no need to steal, _not that I would…_ if he will give it freely. What do you require me to do, my Majesty? I'll break any law, any rule…because for _you_ , I'm a _free spirit_."

"More like a criminal…who's free," Joey muttered, but he was ignored.

"Ah…BUT! I've got three questions," Bakura said, his eyes gleaming mysteriously with determination. "Will I be put to death by running this errand of yours? Will the human kill me once I surface? And will you pay me an extra sapphire for my troubles?"

"Glady," Atem said, and Joey made a strange noise behind him, but he was ignored, again.

"The human is my friend, and he will give you the jar with a seal if you ask him. Tell him I sent you. He will know."

"Illegal contact with a human, I like it!" Bakura cackled, swimming to the far end of his tent and pulling out a cylindrical item. He slapped the mossy drawer shut with the end of his silvery tail and snatched the tie up from the cluttered table, wrapping it around the small tube and handing it to Atem with both hands, still wearing a mocking grin.

"For you…your Majesty."

"Thank you," Atem said anxiously, about to accept the items from the merman, but Bakura yanked them back with a hostile hiss.

"Payment… _upfront_."

"What kind of crack-pot business are you runnin' here, buddy?" Joey demanded, pointing his spear threateningly at Bakura's chest. "You know the rules. Goods first."

"It's _my_ tent, _my_ products _, my…rules!_ " Bakura shouted, tossing the lipstick and tie bundle over his shoulder as he hovered inches from Joey's nose, looking like he was about to spit in his face.

"Very well! We apologize for the misunderstanding!" Atem said hoarsely, jumping to Joey's defense and grabbing his friend by the arm, dragging him to the exit. "We'll come back with payment!"

 _No…we won't!_ _Cuz he's crazy!_ Joey thought frantically to Atem while they made their hasty escape.

"YOU'D BETTER! I'll be waiting, KING!" Bakura shouted at their backs, and he picked up a shiny bread knife, hurling it after them through the slits of the seaweed curtain. It shot through the water and narrowly missed Atem's shoulder, lodging in a wooden pole propping up a tent across the way, earning several shrieks of fear and surprise from other mer-people.

 _Running away…running away_! Joey thought, pulling Atem rapidly through the water. Atem held onto Joey's arm tightly, surprised at how fast his friend could swim, and they rounded a corner past the market stalls, stopping behind several towering rocks to catch their breath.

His heart was pounding thickly, and Atem pressed a hand over his chest, breathing a tense sigh of relief.

"You are making some questionable decisions…not that it's my place to say," Joey said, giving Atem a grim nod as he flipped onto his back, still panting heavily.

"I need…to get the vial to Seto Kaiba…" Atem breathed, leaning against the rock and feeling a headache coming on. "I feel…despair. Overwhelming despair."

"That bad, huh?" Joey said with a sympathetic grimace. "Aite well, I dunno if this will help, but I'm being Deployed soon. To the nearest shore, Japan…to complete the rest of my Training."

"That does help!" Atem gasped, giving his friend a grateful smile. "Please, be safe. Do you know what you'll be doing?"

"Don't know many details yet," Joey said, shrugging and shifting his spear to his other shoulder with an important huff of his chest. "But I know once I get on shore with my own two legs, I can find this Kaiba guy for you and get whatever you want. Don't rely on shady guys like that thief, Bakura."

Atem nodded eagerly. "You're right. Your solution is better. Thank you, Joey. You're a true friend."

"Nah, you are," Joey said, giving Atem a playful grin. "Meeting you and doing this dangerous stuff is preparing me to be a real Warrior. I'll be the strongest cuz of you. Maybe I'll even beat that guy, Mahad!"

Atem let out a laugh and felt an odd pang in his chest. It had felt like ages since he had had a laughed…even a little.

"What? C'mon, he's not _that_ strong, is he?" Joey said, looking disgruntled. "Anyway, let's head back. The girls are probably wonderin' where we are."

Atem nodded and swam quietly after Joey, trying to quell his uncertainty.

His endeavor to stay in contact with Seto Kaiba was becoming more and more dangerous. He wasn't sure when to stop, and if it was right or wrong.

All he wanted was to be closer to Kaiba, and this was the way to do it.

* * *

Kaiba sifted through the gems with a pair of silver tweezers, picking up a diamond the size of a soybean.

What the fuck was this?!

This was the only diamond amidst all the other glittering gems, and Kaiba wondered if Atem's tears changed properties depending on his mood. These tears seemed to be more irregular in size. Also, there were no diamond tears in the first few batches of gems when he had lived in the pool.

Sealing the small diamond in a bag, Kaiba rose to his feet and decided to call the jeweler again.

On his way out of the elevator, he heard laughter coming from the media room, so he passed by the half-closed door and peeked through the crack.

The overhead movie projector was on, and a film was playing.  
Mokuba was sitting on the plush leather couches with his arm around a long-haired person beside him, and Kaiba could hear another feminine laugh echo through the home theater.

He wrestled with himself for a moment, wondering if he should interrupt them so he could see who she was, but he decided against it and hurried away with an odd clenching in his stomach.

Mokuba's girlfriends were none of his business. Was this the same girl as before? Did it matter?

Letting out a tight sigh, Kaiba made his way safely up the grand staircase and locked himself in his room. He leaned heavily against the door and shut his eyes, willing himself to remain composed.

Everything was fine. All he had to do was tell himself that everything was fine and press on. For Atem.

He sat down at his desk and stared at the stack of books he had stolen from Marik's office, grabbing the topmost one. Flipping it open carelessly, Kaiba bit his tongue in annoyance when he realized the text was all in English.

Goddammit. Nothing was ever going to be easy.

He slipped his phone out of his pocket and snapped a photo of the page, quickly running it through the translation app, slowly watching each sentence blur. The text sharpened again, replaced by Japanese characters, and Kaiba frowned at it, trying to understand the formal wording.

 _"… Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including the Near East, Europe, Asia, and Africa.  
The first stories are believed to have appeared in ancient Assyria, in which the goddess Atargatis transformed herself into a mermaid out of shame for accidentally killing her human lover."_

"What the fuck…" Kaiba muttered, flipping the book over to glance at the cover. The title read, _'Folklore and mythology – Merpeople'_.

Rolling his eyes, he tossed the book aside and grabbed the second one. Maybe stealing in a hurry had been a bad idea. He should've taken his time to read the insides of the books before swiping them.

Sighing heavily, he flipped the second book open and was happy to discover it was printed in Japanese. What a relief to know that he wasn't a complete idiot and had managed to steal something in his own language.

 _"The Ama are Japanese skin divers, predominantly women, who traditionally dive for shellfish and seaweed wearing only a loincloth and who have been in action for at least 2,000 years.  
They operate off reefs near the shore, and some perform for sightseers instead of diving to collect a harvest. They have been romanticized as mermaids…"_

 _Unhelpful!_ Kaiba snarled angrily to himself, fanning across several more pages. He needed information about humans fucking mermaids, and possible merbabies coming from them as a result.

An image caught his eye, and Kaiba paused in his motions, leaning down to read the text underneath it.

 _"…Researchers believe the markings are branded onto the skin of mermen to symbolize their rank, skill level, and strength. Depicted here is an illustration of a high-ranking Warrior. This design was found on the skin of a man who showed no signs of aging while living in a Singaporean retirement facility. He was rumored to be a Warrior sent to observe how old humans behave…"_

Intrigued, Kaiba studied the drawing, feeling his skin crawl with unease. The markings were branded and not tattooed?

He recalled seeing a merman with tattoos running down one side of his face, but he didn't see anything that would resemble a branded mark.

Placing a bookmark in the page, Kaiba flipped his laptop open, hastily searching for the "man who never aged" in Singapore. He came up with one result, and he clicked the article, scanning it rapidly for information.

 _"…refused to let his blood be drawn for tests and even became violent. He broke out of the home by leaping over the security fence after fighting off three orderlies who had tried to hold him down. Whereabouts of this man are unknown, and this incident is filed under 'weird things that happen in old people homes!'_

A photo of a white-haired Asian man was displayed at the bottom of the article, and Kaiba hissed to himself triumphantly. He saved the photo and ran it through his facial recognition system.

Leaning back in his seat, Kaiba wondered if the man was still walking around on land.

But first, he would run this face through all of Japan and then expand from there. If this man was smart, he would've made his way to any country in the world. Might as well start searching from home.

* * *

 _Atem! Atem! Where ya at buddy?_

Atem slowly opened his eyes and stared up at the dark ceiling of his room. Was he dreaming or had he heard Joey's voice in his thoughts just now?

 _YoooOoOOo! I'm lost! This place is like a maze!_

Bolting upright in bed, Atem raced to the door and pulled it back a centimeter, peeking out into the quiet hallway, shaking off his sleepiness quickly. Everyone was resting…how did Joey get into the palace?

Swimming quietly out into the hall, Atem called back in his thoughts.

 _I'm here! Where are you?!_

 _...Joey?!_

He was greeted with nothing but silence, and Atem continued to swim slowly forward. Maybe he was out of range.

 _JOEY!_

Atem shouted as loudly as he dared while drifting past Mana's room. He didn't want to risk the chance of accidentally waking someone by shouting in their mind while they slept.

He turned the corner and ran nose-first into a muscular, pale arm.

Letting out a gasp, Atem darted backwards in surprise, locking eyes with an unfamiliar face of a mer-warrior. The merman's mouth dropped open in surprise, and his face quickly split into a friendly grin.

He held his hand out for a shake, and Atem gazed at it apprehensively, taking in his strange appearance; dark brown hair styled into a pointed spike, and he wore a necklace strung full of shark's teeth.

 _Found him!_ The merman called, still grinning at Atem, and he dropped his hand awkwardly. _I'm Honda, but call me Tristan. I hate my birth name._

Atem nodded stiffly in return, his suspicion rising. _How did you get in past the front gates? Are you a friend of Joey's?_

Joey came zooming forward with a seaweed sack over his shoulder, and he paused, hovering excitedly in front of Atem, also wearing a bright grin.

 _This is my buddy, Tristan!_ Joey said enthusiastically, oblivious to Atem's anxiety. _Your front guards are asleep, man. Aren't they supposed to be awake?_

Speechless with surprise, Atem nodded silently again and made a mental note to have Mahad weed out the irresponsible guards for sleeping at their posts.

 _Yo, dudes! Check out the paintings on the ceiling. This place is insane!_ A third merman floated leisurely towards them with his arms tucked behind his head while he craned his neck left and right, admiring the curved ceiling above them. He looked slightly familiar, with his long black hair tied back with a red piece of cloth, and he was wearing an absurd amount of jewelry.

Atem realized with a jolt that this was another merman Solomon had intrusively chosen for him in the blind line-up.

 _Oh shit, the King_! The merman cried, tucking his spear behind his back and bowing, his long black hair floating gracefully over his shoulders. _Call me Duke. I'm the Dungeon Master!_

 _Dungeon Master In Training_ , Joey corrected, giving his friend a playful punch on the shoulder. _Don't needta' do that fancy bowing stuff. Atem is cool, right?_

All three merman gazed expectantly at him, and Atem, still unable to find his voice, nodded stiffly. These were Joey's friends, his buddies, the ones he had spoken so much about. He needed to make a good impression….

 _Can we get out of the way?_ Tristan asked heatedly, throwing a nervous glance at all the empty hallways around them. _Let's go somewhere with a door. We aren't supposed to be here._

 _You are my guests,_ Atem said, finally managing to project his thoughts confidently after composing himself. _You can come in any time you wish. Let's go to my room._

 _Ooo, the King's Room! I wonder what treasures I'll find there!_ Duke said, rubbing his hands together with a smile, and he received an elbow to the ribs from Joey. He doubled over, coughing lightly.

Atem bit back a smile and swam forward quickly, feeling his heart clench strangely. They were Joey's friends, so they could be trusted, right? But they gave off a strange, cold aura.

Pushing his doubts aside, he led the odd trio of mermen into his room and let them swim inside before him, one after another. Then, he shut the door behind himself firmly, making sure to latch the lock.

All three men eyed the lock and there was an uneasy silence.

 _He's not gonna, like, eat us, right_? Duke said nervously, sending the private thought to Joey, but Atem heard this passing thought and couldn't help but feel offended.

 _Nah, he's chill!_ Joey insisted, and he dropped the seaweed sack onto the sandy floor with a quiet thunk, smiling at Atem. _Gotcha some bottles with screwy caps like ya wanted. Come check out our haul!_

"Thank you," Atem said nervously, slowly sinking to the floor to inspect the goods, fully aware that Tristan and Duke were blatantly staring at him, and it was making his skin burn.

He sifted through the glass bottles, pleased to find that there were indeed several slender vials amongst the assortment, and he gave Joey a grateful smile.

"How did you find these?"

But his question was ignored. The three mermen were having a private conversation above his head with each other, their faces grim with worry.

"Please, speak openly," Atem said firmly, sitting down on the floor and hoping his actions would put Joey's friends at ease. "We are brothers. Tell me what the trouble is."

Tristan ran his hand upwards through the single spike in his hair and gave Atem a funny look. "You wanna sit somewhere that's not the floor…dude?"

"The floor is fine and it's comfortable," Atem said smoothly. "If the floor is good enough for you, it's good enough for me. Feel free to sit anywhere you like. My room is your room."

There was another silence. Duke was the first to break it, diving down and sitting stiffly across from Atem with a nervous smile.

"Can I have a ruby?" Duke asked shamelessly, and Joey threw his spear downwards, narrowly missing the end of Duke's fins. Duke curled back with a yelp before rising angrily to face Joey with his claws outstretched.

"What the FUCK, man, I _just_ healed!"

Sensing a fight, Tristan looped his arms around Duke's body and held him back as he struggled to claw at Joey's bare chest.

"Don't ask that kind of stuff from him!" Joey shouted back, looking stricken. "That ain't cool—"

"Your baby sister got her hair braided with tons of rubies, why am I not allowed to ask for the same treatment?" Duke argued, fighting Tristan with all his might, baring his fangs, looking as if he was about to spit.

Atem watched the scene unfold above him with growing apprehension. Duke did not seem like a friend of Joey's.

"Cuz she's girl, ya fucking dolt," Joey growled, drifting down to pick his spear up from the sand. "Let's not fight in front of him. Hate me later all you want, you're the one who wanted to tag along."

"Yeah, cuz you don't let your pod-mates sneak out in the middle of a Resting Period," Duke shot back with an accusatory glare. "Don't visits to the Palace have to be announced and recorded? You're basically visiting him _illegally_ and bringing him _shore garbage_ …illegally."

"He's a friend, man, calm down!" Tristan said, his grip loosening around Duke's body. "We brought it, and now we're leaving. Chill the fuck out, _Dungeon Master_."

"And what kind of king collects shore garbage anyway?" Duke continued ruthlessly, rounding on Atem as he floated above him, still trying to elbow Tristan off of him. "Lemme guess, you're also the one who suggested Joey challenge himself and try to break his pact! Are you taking advantage of him cuz he's the stupidest one in our entire pod?"

"Hey, who you callin' stupid?" Joey growled angrily, the tips of his ears growing red. "I ain't stupid just cuz I failed all my written exams. I can still throw a spear right in your eye from a meter away—"

 _GUYS! Shut up! Someone is coming!_ Tristan yelled so loudly in his thoughts, Atem winced and felt a slight headache.

Sure enough, there was an urgent knock on the door, and handle rattled quietly.

Atem rose from the ground and pointed at his bed with a firm finger, "Sit. And leave all your spears down in the sand, now."

He floated towards the door, using a light-hearted tone, "Who is it?"

 _Atem? Are you in danger?!_ Mahad's deep voice echoed warmly in Atem's mind, and Atem unlatched the door slowly, sending a thought back.

 _No, Mahad. They're my friends._

He pulled the door back and let his bodyguard glance inside his room.

Mahad surveyed the scene before him with doubt, taking in the three young mermen wearing cadet warrior decorations on their bodies, the pile of spears in the far corner of the room, and a bunch of litter on the floor.

"We're playing a game, and things got heated," Atem said reassuringly, lying with ease. "I believe it's called Choose the Bottle—a shore-concept game."

"I thought it was called ' _Spin_ the Bottle'," Tristan interjected bravely, and Duke shot him a look, replying sarcastically, "That's when you wanna kiss someone. You wanna kiss me, big boy?"

"Ah…friends," Mahad said stiffly, bowing shallowly at the three men on the bed who all ducked their head down respectfully in return. "Well, glad to see you're enjoying yourself…please rest when you're tired, my king. I'll leave you now."

Atem mustered the friendliest smile he could and waited until Mahad's violet fins disappeared down the end of the hall before he closed the door and latched it again with a sigh.

"…That's Warrior Mahad," Duke said, stiff with awe and respect. "He looks cooler in the painting hanging in our Main Hall."

"It's no wonder he heard us," Joey muttered, swishing the sand with his tail glumly. "We can't even keep our thoughts to ourselves."

"Practice makes perfect," Tristan sang lightheartedly, rising from the bed with a lazy stretch. "He's gonna give us tips on how to behave on Shore in a couple of moons. Can't wait to learn cool stuff from him."

Atem floated awkwardly before the three mermen and bowed quickly, hearing all three gasp, and silence enveloped the room once more.

"Please don't bow at us, man, that makes me feel fucking weird," Tristan said, floating beside Atem and giving him a tentative nudge.

"Thank you for risking your safety," Atem said, his throat growing tight with emotion while he kept his head lowered. "Thank you for sneaking out during your Resting Period to bring me this garbage for my petty reasons. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

There was another long, stifling silence, and Duke was the first to speak.

"Oh fuck."

"Yeah, toldja not to believe those rumors," Joey said quietly, also rising to float beside Atem, and he threw his arm around the king's shoulders, giving him a playful hug. "Duke owes you an apology."

"Sorry I thought you were an uppity prick because you wear a crown," Duke said monotonously, not making eye contact. His eyes were roaming around the room, and he spied the woven kelp curtain in the far corner, his eyes widening with interest.

"Yes, feel free to take as much as you want," Atem said hastily, straightening up and dashing towards his closet. He flung the woven curtain back and gestured for Duke to swim closer.

This was his personal treasury, where he kept all the gifts he'd received from over the past centuries, all the handmade jewelry from mer-people during his many processions, and all his tears, organized by gem, color, and size, stacked in piles sitting in large abalone shells.

He heard simultaneous gasps of shock and excitement from his new friends, and he floated aside to let the men dive into his treasury.

"These are bigger than my knuckles!" Duke cried, holding up an opal to the light, inspecting it with wonder. "I've never seen anything this big! And this!" He held up a ruby and diamond in the palm of his hand, admiring their sparkle in the low light.

"Y-Yes…" Atem said awkwardly, feeling his heart grow heavy at the memory of shedding those tears. "Those were from when my father passed…"

"Oh…f—" Duke dropped the large gems back into the abalone shell with a loud clink and floated awkwardly back out of the closet. "S-Sorry dude."

"Please take them, for your troubles," Atem encouraged gently. "I'll probably be shedding many more…for a certain someone."

Duke shook his head fervently, looking deeply regretful. "Nah…it's cool. I'm good…I'm fine."

"Well, please take _some_ ," Atem pressed, feeling a smile curving at the corners of his lips. "The smaller ones. I don't even remember what tantrum I was throwing. Take them to an Alchemist. Perhaps they can merge them into a bigger gem for you."

"Ha!" Tristan cried, slapping Duke playfully on the shoulder as he swam out of the closet with a handful of necklaces. "This guy is so broke, he can't afford the Alchemist's fee. C'mon dude, just pick some bracelets. Gotta stock up if you meet that pretty girl later on."

"But I wanted to have a ruby…for the red dot on my dice-shaped earrings!" Duke said sadly, eyeing the stacks of rubies in their abalone tray. "I can't take one knowing how he felt…"

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Atem said impatiently, floating into the closet and grabbing a small handful of tiny glittering rubies.

He spun around and pressed them into Duke's hand, feeling the merman's clawed fingers shrinking away respectfully, trying to refuse.

"Take it, and make me a pair of earrings too," Atem said warmly, pointing at his own bare earlobes. "I gave mine away, and people keep asking why I'm not wearing earrings anymore. Come back if you need more."

Duke nodded mutely, his knuckles white over the rubies in his fist, his face red with a mixture of embarrassment and happiness.

"Aww…lookit him," Joey grinned, nudging Duke playfully with the butt of his spear. "He's blushing."

"But we really gotta jet before the Resident Assistant notices we're gone," Tristan said, picking up his spear and swimming quickly to the door. "We'll come back soon, King! Thanks for the loot!"

"Yes, thanks," Duke said, finally finding his voice as he lifted his spear out of the sand, hastily joining Tristan at the door.

"You're welcome," Atem said happily, letting Joey pull him into a crushing hug before the blond merman also joined his companions at the door and gave him a solid thumbs-up.

Tristan unlatched the door and swam out into the hallway, followed quickly by Duke.

"See ya later alligator!" Joey waved and dove out the door, leaving a trail of white bubbles flowing in his wake.

Atem raised his hand in a wave and dropped it heavily at his side when he found himself alone in the room, with the door swinging open on its hinges.

The silence was deafening.

A visit from his rowdy new friends had changed him.  
He never knew how much time he had spent alone in the silence…until now.

This was only a further reminder of how alone he really was.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

poor atem, getting angsty after his friends leave. (tbh idk if anyone feels like that irl cuz I sure as heck do)

Thief merman bakura makes an appearance

kaiba is on the hunt ™ for more and more mer-baby info.

edited by: taedae

please leave a review to let me know how excited you are for the next chapter!

hugs,

Ugli


	25. Chapter 25

Kaiba stepped out of the limousine and was immediately greeted by a doctor, who bowed deeply while grasping his hand.

"Mr. Kaiba! Your donation was so generous, we really are thankful," the man gushed, while a couple of nurses stood by the door, holding it open respectfully with their heads lowered.

Kaiba withdrew his hand uncomfortably and resisted the urge to wipe it on his pants. The doctor's hands were damp with nervous sweat.

Could they skip the formalities and just head inside already? The _'man who didn't age_ ' was reportedly living here based on his findings from the facial recognition program, and Kaiba was itching to meet him.

The main problem was somehow managing to interrogate the old man without raising the staff's suspicions.

Kaiba let the doctor chatter away while he followed him into the facility, glancing at all the potted plants that decorated the entryway.

The receptionist rose quickly to her feet and bowed politely. Kaiba immediately caught a stream of hostile thought from her.

 _The handsome but elusive billionaire…more like a spoiled shut-in with too much money to do whatever he wants. He's here to harass the elderly…._

Ignoring her, Kaiba continued following the doctor, walking into a wide ballroom that had been transformed into a recreational area filled with tables and exercise equipment.

"We were able to buy many new exercise machines and a ping pong table. The women love it," the doctor said excitedly, thrusting a hand out proudly and nodding respectfully at an old woman who stared at them from a neighboring table.

"Cool," Kaiba said noncommittedly, hearing the old woman's thoughts loudly in his left ear.

 _WHAT A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN! MY LUCKY DAY!_

He winced and trailed his gaze upwards, taking in the large spiraling staircase leading up to the second and third floor.

"Show me the other rooms," Kaiba said emptily, scanning every single elderly face that turned to stare at him. Some people from the veranda outside were also turning to stare. None of them matched the white-haired profile of the mysterious man he was seeking.

"Very well," the doctor said nervously, wringing his hands. "Ah…but, there isn't much to see. This is our nicest area. Perhaps we could take a walk outside? We have a lovely garden where we've planted many…"

 _Oh no…he's unhappy. What did I do or say? He doesn't like the look of this place?  
I mean, we were poor to begin with! His money, however much, doesn't work miracles. Ah…Ueno-san was right, dammit, I should've listened to her. He came by to see how much of a difference his money made, and honestly…not much…ah damn…damn…damn…he's not saying anything…damn…damn…_

"Leave me alone for a bit," Kaiba said bluntly, realizing his mere presence was off-putting. "I'm here to visit someone I may be distantly related to—"

"OH! Then, let me search our records for you!" the doctor cried, his eyes sparkling with hope and excitement. "That's right, you were adopted, weren't you? Ah…"

The doctor lowered his head, falling silent awkwardly, and his thoughts flooded Kaiba's mind quickly.

 _Crap! I interrupted him. That was rude. But he was rude first! 'Leave me alone,' he said. Are we speaking bluntly? Or is the difference in our ranks is too high…ah fuck._

"I know his name," Kaiba began quietly, fully aware that everyone in the vicinity was listening in on their conversation. "Yanagi Michio."

"Ah, Yanani-san…he's—" the doctor frowned and began to sweat visibly. "May I speak honestly, Mr. Kaiba?"

 _Crap, crap, bad news, oh dear…_

"Speak frankly, I can take bad news," Kaiba said coldly, hearing more delighted shouts from other elderly people's thoughts, and he really wished they were somewhere more private.

"He's rude and hard to approach," the doctor said firmly. _Just like you, Mr. Kaiba. Perhaps they are related ahhahaha…. someone kill me, I'm sweating too much here…._

"Sounds about right," Kaiba said with a small smile. "Let me speak to him."

"Third floor, room 305," the doctor said shakily with a deep bow. "Please enjoy the rest of your visit, and please let me know if you need anything…."

Kaiba hurried away from the doctor and took the stairs three at a time, not caring how crazy he appeared to the other residents. He could hear their thoughts echoing in his mind, slowly driving him insane.

 _Is that Mr. Kaiba? Seto Kaiba?_

 _Wow, so handsome…prettiest man I've seen in all my days…_

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba strode down the hallway, and an orderly bowed hastily as he passed.

Ignoring him, Kaiba stopped at the door labeled 305 and rested his hand on the doorknob, listening intently for activity on the other side.  
Nothing but silence.  
Satisfied, Kaiba turned the knob, but to his annoyance, it was locked.

He rattled the doorknob, and an angry voice called back at him, "Go away! Not hungry or thirsty!"

"I'm not a doctor," Kaiba said stiffly through gritted teeth. "Open the damn door now."

"A stranger then? No thanks," came the reply, and Kaiba growled, contemplating crushing the doorknob in his hand before he came up with a better, non-violent solution. A lie.

 _I'm a warrior,_ Kaiba thought furiously, glaring at the solid grey door. _Open up, old man._

 _That's no way to address your elders_ , the old man replied spitefully, but to Kaiba's relief, the lock clicked, and the door opened a tiny crack.

Without waiting a second, Kaiba barged in rudely and the old man stumbled back in surprise with an irritated cry.

Slamming the door behind himself, Kaiba made sure to turn the lock before he spun around to tower over the old man, taking in his every feature, noticing how the old man's skin was taut, with barely an extra wrinkle around his eyes and mouth. He didn't look a day over 50.

"Show your rank, and show your respect," the old man barked, stepping back and pointing an accusing finger at him. "I see you're wearing clothes head to toe, even covering your neck. Well?"

"You first," Kaiba said automatically, inching his hand down towards his phone. "I don't know if I have the right person."

The old man raked his gaze intrusively over Kaiba's tall form, his eyes narrowing when he spotted Kaiba's sharp fingernails.

"Pa!" the old man crowed, pointing at his hands. "You're young and inexperienced. File your nails down, boy! No human male has fingers like that. Quickly now, what's your problem? I'm not a cure-all, you know. I'm tired of being bothered by you Randoms just showing up here, blowing my cover."

"Your cover was already blown…in Singapore," Kaiba said bluntly, surveying the room carefully. It was nicely furnished but still barren, with only a bed, a desk, a mirror, and safety bars over the window. Was this a prison cell?

"No, you idiot, those are for keeping the crazy humans safe from harm," the old man said loftily, crossing his arms across his chest and eyeing Kaiba headily. "You speak Japanese well. What colony are you from?"

"Not telling until you show me your branded mark," Kaiba retaliated smoothly, tingling with anticipation. "I'm not an idiot."  
He was so close…so close.  
This man was a merman!

The old man eyed him shrewdly and nodded. "Very well. You young ones sure follow the Code to the letter. I can appreciate that."

Kaiba slipped his phone out and palmed it, watching the old man slowly lift his shirt up. Sure enough, sitting right on the upper corner of his chest was a raised scar with delicate lines drawn in the shape of a lotus flower. A slender crescent moon hugged the entire flower, and Kaiba allowed himself to stare for a millisecond before he slipped out his phone and took a quick succession of photos.

The old man dropped his shirt and glared furiously, his face growing red with rage and embarrassment.

"What is the meaning of that?!" he snapped, backing away towards his desk and slipping his hand into the drawer, producing a pair of sharp scissors and aiming the point at Kaiba.

"Gotcha!" Kaiba smiled devilishly and tucked the phone safely back into his pocket. "Now, tell me where the nearest Chrysalis is, or I'll report you to the doctor here. You'll be in the news all over again, and you'll be forced to relocate."

"Wh—What…why…!" the old man sputtered, his hand holding the scissors wavered shakily, and Kaiba listened intently to his thoughts.

 _Blackmail! No, he's definitely not human, but perhaps a warrior who has lost his way! He looks Pure! And young!_

"I can hear your perverted thoughts, old man," Kaiba drawled, leaning against the door, listening for any footsteps that might be headed their way. "And sure, I am those things: pure, young, and I've lost my way. So the fuck what? Chrysalis location, now."

"Y-You're calling it a Chrysalis, eh?" The old man attempted to leer, but it only looked like a frightened grimace. "That means you're from a Southern Colony. They're a bunch of filthy elitists with too many rules and too many half-bred mer-people."

"Wow, look who sounds exactly like an elitist," Kaiba taunted, his triumph rising at this new information. "Half breeds? Half-human, right?"

"You _are_ an idiot," the old man declared, still holding the scissors up at eye-level. "You're one of those pretty, but empty-headed ones. Did you fail all your written exams, Lost Warrior? Yes, of course, what other kind of half would they be?"

"Right, so where can I find a human woman who has given birth to a half merperson?" Kaiba asked genuinely, tucking a hand under his chin and completely unfazed by the pair of scissors still aimed at him.

"Are you asking me to do your Assignment for you? You're failing that badly? Get out!" the old man spat, lowering the scissors and pointing at the door. "And file your nails, for god's sake, or you'll blow the cover of everyone in your worthless pod."

"I take it you don't know," Kaiba said casually, examining his sharp nails with an air of indifference. "Ah, damn. And they told me you were a know-it-all genius."

"My wisdom extends only to human matters, not half-breed matters," the old man barked, stamping his foot in an oddly childish way. "GET OUT, or I will spit on you, I swear on Suijin's staff I will blind you and ruin your pretty looks."

Kaiba held his palms up defensively and smiled the friendliest smile he could, "Thanks for the info old man."

With that, he turned and hastily unlocked the door to make his exit. He could hear the old man's spiteful thoughts following him down the hallway even after the door slammed shut behind him.

 _Young and arrogant. Exactly how a failed warrior behaves! It's no wonder he's lost his way. He'd better find a Gene Pool before he dries up and starts vomiting blood._

"Jokes on you, I'm already vomiting," Kaiba muttered under his breath, nearly running headfirst into the doctor on his way down the staircase.

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba! Did the visit go well?" the doctor bowed deeply and straightened up with a flushed expression. "The orderly on the third floor told me Yanagi-san let you in! He rarely ever does…not even for me. Tell me how you did it!"

"I told him I might be related to him, and he clearly hates me," Kaiba answered truthfully, deciding to spin the story out more in the old man's favor. "He belongs here. All he remembers is how to be nasty, so I'm glad this is where he's comfortable."

"Ah…" the doctor nodded and bowed repeatedly, at a loss for words, but his thoughts were loud and clear.

 _Such high praise. Seto Kaiba really understands the old man, and this must be the real reason behind his donation. He isn't heartless after all…  
I wonder if they really are family…._

"I'll be leaving. Don't bother escorting me to the front," Kaiba said plainly, brushing past the doctor and hurrying down the rest of the steps.

The receptionist at the front thanked him profusely as he walked by, but all he heard was more of her condescending thoughts.

 _Damn, he's so handsome up close, but it's no wonder he's single. He will be, for the rest of his life. No woman wants to live with that kind of man, regardless of money or status._

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba threw himself into the backseat of his limousine and made brief eye-contact with Isono in the rearview mirror.

 _Drive, old man,_ Kaiba thought at him irritably, not bothering to open his mouth to speak, and he heard Isono reply shakily with a verbal, "Yes sir."

Pleased with himself, Kaiba slipped his phone out to inspect the photos he had taken.

A couple were blurry, but the rest were clear and crisp. It really was a lotus blossom encircled with a crescent moon. A little bit of a weird combination, but whatever.

This was perfect. He was going to find a way to apply this mark to his own skin so any time he came across another walking merperson, he would have solid proof of his solid lie.

Smiling to himself, he settled back into the seat and listened carelessly to Isono's thoughts while they drove down the scenic tree-lined road back towards their own city.

* * *

Atem settled himself on the algae-covered stone step, right between Joey and Tristan. They both instantly threw a friendly arm around Atem's shoulders and jostled him back and forth between them playfully.

"Hey, it's the king! We got the king!" Tristan crowed, and Joey laughed joyfully, echoing the same sentiment. "It's da kiiing!"

"Shut up, you dolts," Duke rolled his eyes, sitting stiffly at Tristan's side, his eyes nailed to the amphitheater stage where a Scholar was arranging documents on a podium.

Atem smiled warmly at his friends, feeling a twinge of excitement. Mahad was about to give a speech on Shore Behavior, and he was very interested in this topic too. Quite a few mermaids were sitting in the very front, giggling and preening themselves, clearly ready to catch his eye.

"…Can't believe your sister is in the front row," Duke muttered at Joey, waving his tail anxiously back and forth underneath himself. "I want special treatment too. Hey Atem, get us to the front row."

"Hell no! The back is where the party's at," Tristan declared, and several people turned to give him annoyed stares. "Alright, I'll shut up…jeez."

A hush fell over the crowd, and Mahad floated onto the stage, bowing deeply with his staff at his side, and to Atem's surprise, everyone rose out of their seats to bow respectfully in return before settling back down.

There was a silence as Mahad surveyed the entire audience, and he smiled warmly, holding his hands out widely, his voice booming in the amphitheater.

"Friends…Warriors, Scholars, my brothers, and ladies," he beamed at the girls in the front row, and Atem heard Duke groan in jealous agony. "Thank you for joining me here today. I have walked onshore too many times to count, but, if one must know, the number exceeds the fingers on both hands."

Quiet whispers broke out, and Atem blinked, quite taken aback by this new information. Mahad had surfaced more than ten times?! In his entire lifetime?! That truly was amazing….

"Those of you who are still In Training know that the first rule is to learn the local dialect and slang, and perhaps manage to learn a few songs as well."

Murmurs of agreement echoed up from the audience, and Atem could see Joey and Tristan nodding seriously, listening with deep rapture.

"But what you aren't taught is how to deal with _kind_ humans," Mahad said deeply, nodding. "Sometimes, humans act randomly, seemingly without reason. This is called _Acts of Random Kindness_. When this happens, do not, I repeat, _do not_ feel the need to reciprocate all the way. This will blow your cover. Simply say 'thank you', or give a gift in return, and move on. Remember their kindness, but do not linger on it. The human wants you to remember it."

The audience replied with a chorus of "mmm's" and "ah's".

Atem sat very still, drinking in the information, and doing his best to keep his mind focused on what Mahad was saying, but for some reason, his thoughts kept wandering back to Seto Kaiba.

All this talk about human behavior was only making him miss Kaiba more deeply.

* * *

Kaiba stepped into the dingy shop and eyed his surroundings apprehensively.

It was empty. The smell of cigarette smoke lingered heavily in the air, and Kaiba wrinkled his nose, feeling his lungs burn.  
Enhanced sense of smell, sight and sound was not doing him any favors right now.

"Hey!" Kaiba called loudly, craning his neck and seeing an empty chair beside a rickety exam table.

This was reportedly a yakuza establishment where people would come to get tattooed. Kaiba had only managed to find this location after bribing a couple of seedy-looking men loitering in front of a karaoke bar in a bad part of town.

He heard footsteps behind him, so he stood very still and did nothing.

The cigarette stench was getting stronger.

"Oi, who the fuck are you?" A voice with a rough accent addressed him rudely, and he felt a soft punch land between his shoulder blades.

Kaiba slowly turned around and stared at the scrawny man before him. He was wearing a cheap black suit, but the silk tie shone eerily underneath the fluorescent lights.

Two other men appeared behind him, effectively blocking the entrance, and Kaiba felt a chill run up his spine when he saw the men take up protective stances with their legs planted apart, and their hands clasped before them, their faces grim.

"I guess I found the right place," Kaiba said lightly, choosing his words carefully while managing a smirk. "I want a tattoo."

The scrawny man took a threatening step towards him, his chin comically only reaching Kaiba's chest, but his beady eyes were hostile.

"No, you don't. Get the fuck out, and leave your wallet, Rich Boy."

"I'll leave a stack of cash," Kaiba said cleverly, fully ready to be extorted for all he was worth. "But I don't even think you can do it. The design is complicated.

"What?" The man spat, his eyes raking up and down Kaiba's tall form intrusively. "Who do think I am? Insulting me already? Show me a photo."

Kaiba made brief eye contact with the men at the door, noticing that both had tattoos peeking out from underneath their suit sleeves. Holding his breath lightly to keep his nostrils clear of cigarette stench, he slowly slipped his hand into his blazer pocket to produce his phone

He tapped the screen and held it up to the scrawny gangster's face, seeing the man's eyes widen at the sight of the scarred tattoo.

"You want…this?" The man pointed a finger at Kaiba's phone and threw his head back, laughing rambunctiously and showing all his teeth. "Hey men, look at this! Rich Boy wants to get a tattoo like this!"

The two men at the door marched silently forward and bent down to inspect the image on Kaiba's phone. There was a second of silence before all three men looked at each other and burst out into hostile laughter, their voices echoing painfully in Kaiba's eardrums.

"This guy…! Scarification?!" One of the men pointed at Kaiba and doubled over laughing, slapping his buddy on the shoulder, who was wheezing and halfway on the floor, weak with mirth.

"I'm fucking serious," Kaiba fumed, staring at the three men, all bent over with laughter, gasping for breath and wiping tears off their face.

"You're a funny man, Seto Kaiba," the scrawny leader said, straightening up and holding his hand out for a shake. "It's true what they say about rich people. Life is boring because you can have it all. You're seeking a thrill?"

Kaiba shook the man's hand with a grim smile, "You can do it?"

"No, you're right, I can't," the man said bluntly, giving him a leery smile. "But I know three men in the entire world who can, and they're not in Japan. You're a powerful person, so how about you owe me a favor instead of cash? Your power is worth more than money."

"A favor?" Kaiba repeated, his anxiety rising. Oh no, this was bad. Owing any kind of favors to anyone was a horrible position to be in. "No. Cash only."

"Tsk," the scrawny leader clicked his teeth in annoyance and folded his arms across his chest, giving Kaiba an apprehensive glare. "Boys, what do we think? Take his cash, and chop off the hand he uses to masturbate with, or let him go after he promises us a favor?"

Kaiba gazed intently into the man's beady eyes, hearing his thoughts easily through the rapid pounding of his own heart.

 _My daughter would be able to make it into a top tier university with his recommendation. She's always being bullied for being the daughter of a gangster…a prestigious school would set her life straight, straighter than mine anyway…_

"Fine," Kaiba said tersely, eyeing the two men behind him and reading their thoughts briefly.

 _Leader doesn't want money?! This guy has gone crazy!_

 _Gonna tell the boss about this. Not taking money from Seto Kaiba, but wants a favor instead._

"Fine?" the scrawny leader echoed, raising his eyebrows.

 _Just like that? Man, this guy…feels off. Something is weird with him._

"Yeah, I'll write your daughter a recommendation letter for any T or K university," Kaiba said stiffly, holding his hand out once more for a shake. "I'll throw in extra cash for your two lugs back there too. Give me the three names and your daughter's information."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence and Kaiba settled himself into it, listening contentedly to the men's thoughts as they began to visibly sweat.

 _H-Holy shit, what? How does he know I have a daughter?_

 _BOSS IS GONNA BE HAPPY WITH THIS! CASH FOR ME TODAY!_

 _Shit, now I want a favor too. Leader is always sticking his neck out for his daughter._

"V-Very well. Let me get a piece of paper," the scrawny leader said, moving to the back of the shop and Kaiba could hear a pen scratching as he wrote. "If you can give her a job too, Mr. Kaiba, I'd appreciate that."

"Oh, I'm 'Mr. Kaiba' now?" Kaiba grinned casually, still feeling tense. "I said I'd only write the letter. I can lie and say she did work for me, and also fake the papers. I don't ever want to meet her."

The leader held the folded paper out with both hands and bowed his head stiffly, "Very well. Now get lost."

Kaiba snatched the paper out of the man's hand, not bothering to return with formalities, and he brushed past the two men at the front, nodding at them.

"I'll have one of my men drop by this location with cash. Got a time?"

"Tomorrow, noon," the lug on the left answered, barely able to contain his excitement. Kaiba nodded and hurried away down the dirty alleyway, relishing in the gangster's happy thoughts.

 _Money money money! New car, new clothes! I wonder how much! He's so damn rich, anything more than 100,000 yen is to be expected!_

"Idiots," Kaiba muttered to himself, rounding the corner and breathing a heavy sigh of relief as he stood on the corner of a busy street. He unfolded the paper and squinted at the gangster's oddly neat handwriting, thankful he hadn't been fooled into walking out with a blank page.

 _Koizumi Sakurako (my daughter, and don't you dare contact my wife)  
.jp  
chibitoro. .jp  
2-0-2 Higashiyama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo  
103-8043_

 _Tiong Fann Poh (Thomas Peng)– #12 – 90 Keng Towers  
BLDG A6  
Singapore 565751  
REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE_

 _Rebecca Wong (Becki/Becca) –790 Danucuabe ESP  
South Shore Beach, 4729  
(she may have moved, I forgot, maybe in Victoria now)  
AUSTRALIA_

 _Pengaru Bin Ramli (Amil) – K-23-19 Tejuas Condominium  
Jalan Murni Delima 10 Kajan Delima  
70006 Kota Kinabalu  
Ipoh  
MALAYSIA_

"Oh fuck," Kaiba said, wavering slightly on the spot with shock. Either this gangster was sending him on a wild goose chase all over the world, or these were legit addresses to legit people who could apply the scarred tattoo.

He snapped a photo of the paper before stuffing it all back into his blazer pocket, feeling people staring at him as he walked by.

Time to get out of the public's eye, get home, and track down these three strangers.

* * *

Atem waited anxiously outside in the courtyard with Serenity floating quietly beside him, wringing her hands with worry.

"He spent the past six moons studying for this," she said, swimming around Atem for the lack of something to do. "I even helped. He'll pass, won't he? He has to!"

"He will pass," Atem reassured her, but deep down, he had slight reservations about Joey's exam-taking abilities. His friend had somehow managed to fail all his written exams and was now taking a verbal one. Given the way Joey spoke, Atem was pretty sure it wasn't going to go well, but he wanted to wait outside the exam arena just to show his support.

"I heard Warrior Mahad is one of the judges," Serenity said, sounding close to tears. "I heard he's harsh and very judgmental! Oh, my poor brother…"

"Mahad is kind, and will take everything into consideration," Atem said, gently patting her on the shoulder with a sympathetic smile. "Don't believe everything you hear."

"But I heard things about _you_ which turned out to be true," Serenity protested, her brown hair floating prettily around her face. "Mana says you're generous, and strong-willed, and brave…you _are_ all of those things!"

"Th-Thank you," Atem said awkwardly, feeling the tips of his ears grow warm at the sudden compliments. "Well, Mahad is harsh, but he is fair. If Joey fails, which he won't, then we will know which parts he needs to improve on before he takes the exam again—"

Atem was interrupted by a triumphant whoop as Tristan came zooming towards them with a scroll in hand, and a spear in the other, pumping his fist in the water excitedly.

"What is it? What is it, Tristan?!" Serenity asked hysterically, "Did you see Joey in there? How's he doing?"

"Forget about him, I PASSED!" Tristan yelled, tossing his spear directly upwards in the water and doing a magnificent flip before managing to catch it again as it shot back down through the water. "Ha! Watch out humans, I'm commin' for ya'!"

"But Joey?!" Serenity cried, but she was ignored as Duke came swimming towards them at breakneck speed, his black hair flowing messily out of his red bandana. He also carried a scroll and a spear with an insignia, and he tackled Tristan in the water with a happy yell.

"FUCK YEAH DUDES!" Duke shouted, his voice echoing in courtyard as he tossed his spear upwards in celebration. "Shore, here I come!"

"Boobs and alcohol, here I come!" Tristan snickered, throwing his arm around Duke's shoulder and pulling him into a playful headlock. "Can't wait to touch 'em! I hear girls find us more attractive onshore."

Atem watched this exchange with envy, now wishing he could have studied for an exam to walk on shore with his friends, but he knew his court would never let him.

It was a sore reminder that his duties remained underwater while his warrior friends got to enjoy a decade of mandatory study on shore.

"Where's Joey?" Serenity demanded, crossing her arms angrily and floating in front of the boys who were still arm-in-arm, singing lewd lyrics to a human song.

"Still in there being grilled by Warrior Mahad and the rest of the Board," Duke snickered. "He looked so nervous; you should've seen his face."

" _'You're the only Warrior this millennium who has failed all your written exams'_ ," Tristan said in a mockingly pompous voice, _"'What do you have to say for yourself, Warrior Jounouchi?'_ "

Duke doubled over laughing, slapping his fin in mirth as Serenity's face grew redder and redder.

Sensing an argument, Atem opened his mouth to defend Joey, but to his relief, his friend swam out of the exam room and floated glumly towards them.

"Oh no…Joey!" Serenity drove quickly towards her brother and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. "Did you pass?"

"Yo, spill the deets," Tristan called, while he and Duke paused in their rambunctious singing to stare at him. "Why the long face? Pass or fail? C'mon man, talk!"

Atem held his breath, feeling his heart sink rapidly to the floor, taking in Joey's gloomy aura. Oh no….

Joey lifted his head, his eyes brimming with tears, and he threw his arms around his little sister, bawling loudly.

In each of his fists, there was a scroll and a spear bearing the royal insignia.

"Oh shiiiiiit, YES!" Duke crowed, breaking away from Tristan and slapping Joey on the back. "Hell yes, dude! Congrats! You're not stupid, I knew it!"

Serenity, who couldn't see the spear and scroll in Joey's arms which were locked around her back, turned her head frantically, her cheek still tightly pressed into Joey's chest. "What is it? He passed? Or he didn't? Joey! Why are you crying?! Don't cry!"

"He passed!" Atem breathed a sigh of relief and let out a laugh, also rushing forward to pull Joey into an embrace. "See? Mahad is fair and kind."

Sniffling with joy, Joey threw his arms around Atem's neck and clung onto him with a tight hug, "H-He t-t-told me that I'd m-make a good w-warrior c-cuz we-we're such g-g-good f-friends…"

"Yes, indeed," Atem said gruffly, patting Joey gently on the back, biting back his own tears of relief and happiness. "Walk on shore proudly, my friend."

Joey nodded vigorously and sent Atem a private thought amidst the chaos of the celebration around them.

 _I even have a hidey-hole spot dug out, so if there's anything you need me to take on shore, drop it off there and I'll deliver it to anyone you want._

Atem felt Joey pull away and watched him get jostled playfully by Tristan and Duke while Serenity swam in happy circles above their heads, singing sweet high notes.

He felt an odd pang of sadness.  
Somehow, the distance between them had increased.

Joey was going onshore with his friends, leaving him alone once again.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Kaiba be losing his way for real, trolling some yakuza hot spots for a "Warrior's Mark" tattoo that might not even be legit

Atem is struggling and missing kaiba™

Joey Tristan and duke are all going on shore for their mandatory studies! Yay!

edited by: taedae


	26. Chapter 26

Kaiba sat in the back of the plane, staring at his laptop on the table in front of him, trying to ignore the throbbing pain from his new tattoo on the back of his neck.

Mokuba and his girlfriend were at the front of the plane, watching a movie, and Kaiba tried to focus his energy on listening to their thoughts as a distraction from the pain, but it was difficult.

He shut his eyes and sat up straighter, running the past 72 hours through his mind.  
He had either done something that would pay off in the future, or something incredibly stupid.

Having chosen the first name on the yakuza's recommendation list, Kaiba planned a trip to Singapore, but Mokuba wanted to tag along after hearing about it, so his little brother had jumped at the opportunity to take a pretty girl with him.

Kaiba agreed to it because there was no reason to refuse.

Mokuba and his girlfriend had gone off and done their own sightseeing while he ventured into a sleazy part of the city, following the red dot on his GPS, hoping and praying that the address would lead him to a legitimate residence.  
To his relief, he'd arrived at a run-down hospital.

There, he had managed to find and speak with a Dr. Thomas Peng, who seemed unfazed by his request.

After he sent the doctor a payment via wire, they managed to communicate brusquely in English, and Kaiba learned the doctor would be giving him third-degree burns with a cauterizer, causing the skin to heal and form scar tissue.

If all went well, he'd have a lotus and moon-shaped scar illustration on the back of his neck when the scabs cleared.

It was no wonder the yakuza were laughing at him after hearing his request.  
This tattoo was no fucking joke.  
If it healed badly, he would need a skin graft and essentially have to give up, or start over, on another patch of skin.

Kaiba composed himself and winced, sitting up even straighter, hating how his neck throbbed violently with every breath he took. He had injected himself with three vials beforehand to bear the pain and two vials after.

The doctor had even applied a topical anesthetic, but it had been three days, and the wound was really starting to burn.

Wrinkling his nose, Kaiba could remember the awful scent of his own burning flesh as the doctor traced the image. He remembered feeling a slight tingle, and nothing much else. It had been over before he could blink thrice, and he was sent on his way with an ointment and spare bandages.  
Now, after three days, the pain was almost unbearable.  
And he couldn't take any medication while he was injecting himself with the scales, so he opted to stay safe and keep his blood clean.

He would have to grit his teeth through this pain for three weeks.  
For Atem.  
Three weeks.  
With this mark, he would pass as a fish walking on land and gain more information on the whereabouts of a Chrysalis.

Wincing again, Kaiba stared at the back of Mokuba's head and at the other crop of black hair beside him. She was leaning on his shoulder and giggling at the movie.

 _Mokuba-kun is so cute! I love how he likes these kinds of movies!_

 _Ahhh she's leaning her head on me. I could die from happiness…_

Kaiba continued to stare jealously at the two of them, feeling a slight twinge of longing.

If only Atem knew what he was doing….  
Kaiba wondered how the mer-king would react.

* * *

"Like it?" Joey flexed his arm and struck a pose for Atem while Mana giggled and clapped her hands.

"It's…very nice," Atem managed, unable to stop staring at the red patches of flesh around Joey's mark. "Was it painful?"

"Nah, it was fun!" Joey declared, swishing his tail and doing a flip while holding another pose as a couple of palace maidens floated by, carrying baskets at their hips and waving demurely at him.

"Will you get another one?" Mana asked curiously, leaning closer to inspect the mark with awe. "Mahad has them all down his back. I bet that was painful."

"Yeah, but he didn't get'em all at once," Joey said, gingerly patting his raw skin with his pointer finger. "Plus, he earned them. I wanna earn mine too. I look up to him—"

"DON'T TOUCH IT LIKE THAT, YOU IMBECILE!"

Atem jumped, startled at the sudden outburst from behind them, and Shada came swimming towards them at top speed, his eyes wide with worry.

"Wh-Whoa…sorry dude," Joey held his hands up defensively, and Shada reached forward to grab Joey's arm, spitting on it hastily to cleanse the wound.

"If you touch it, you'll ruin The Mark as it heals," Shada said angrily, pointing at his own heavily tattooed face. "You'll heal faster since you are decades younger than me, so any movement to the skin will disturb The Mark."

"Alright, alright, jeez, just tryna show off," Joey yanked his arm back and dove behind Atem for protection. "Bug off, ya old man."

Shada gave Joey an apprehensive look before swimming away quickly, and Mana pressed her hand to her mouth to suppress a giggle.

"That's why Mahad got them on his back," she said with a knowing nod. "Not being able to see it and only feeling the pain made him stronger, he says."

"I wanted to see mine," Joey whined, flexing his arm again and watching his own muscles ripple in the water. "What does that say about me?"

"Says you're _weak_ , fool!" Tristan called, swimming up to them while eating a fish noisily in one hand. "I got mine on my back. Duke was weird and got his on his stomach, says he wants to put marks everywhere maidens can see 'em."

"That means you're vain," Mana said with a sly smile. "Wanting to show off your Marks to women and hoping they'll praise you."

"Who're you calling vain, Maiden?" Duke protested, floating above their heads and doing a slow turn, pointing at the freshly tattoo's mark on his hip. "I want to line the entire edge of my fins with all my achievements."

"Vain," Mana chorused, smiling mischievously. "Us girls have a saying: don't Mate with a merman who has marks on his fins, chest, or face."

"Why?" Atem asked, mildly curious. "Shada and Rishid both have Marks on their face, and they have no issue with women."

"But they don't have offspring," Mana said, tapping her chin sounding thoughtful. "And they're all in high-profile, dangerous jobs. Shada is a Shore Ambassador, and Rishid is also an Ambassador. They both travel too much for any maiden to want to settle down with them."

"Ah shit," Duke groaned, "You should've told me this before I got Marked, Maiden."

"My _name_ is Mana," Mana fumed, rounding on Duke and beginning to sound annoyed. "Go away and leave us be. I don't know you."

"I came bearing gifts for the king," Duke said defensively, holding up a tiny seaweed pouch. "Earrings."

Atem's eyes lit up as he accepted the pouch happily, and he emptied the contents into his palm. Two rounded rubies sat in delicate golden prongs, welded carefully into the center of a sharp, gold triangle. It looked very geometric and artistic.

"Oh, they're beautiful!" Mana gasped, turning to smile at Duke with sparkling eyes, her tone changing instantly. "Make me a pair too!"

"Ha, she doesn't care about your Mark, but what you can make," Tristan taunted, smacking his lips loudly as he continued to eat. "Should've applied to be an Artisan instead of a Dungeon Master, Dungeon Master."

"Had to sell an imperfect ruby to get the gold," Duke said, admiring the earrings in Atem's palm with a sense of pride. "But it's pretty nice, right? I'd be so honored if you'd wear them."

"I'll give you some emeralds or pearls?" Mana said hopefully, floating around Duke excitedly, "Can you make me a matching set to wear with Serenity? Can you make golden hearts?"

"Serenity?" Duke looked immediately interested, and he puffed his chest out proudly. "Golden hearts for you and Serenity? Hell yeah."

"See? Should've been an Artisan," Tristan said lazily, flipping onto his back and floating above their heads with a content sigh. "I'm full, but there's so much grub in your Main Hall, Atem. Hey Joey, come grab some more food with me!"

He swam off slowly, and Atem watched him go, feeling Joey hover at his side.

Mana was dragging Duke away by the arm, talking excitedly about jewelry designs as she led him to his room, and soon enough, only Joey was left at Atem's side.

 _I'm headin' up to shore next moon after these Marks heal,_ Joey thought nervously, giving Atem a serious nod. _The day is coming up real fast. You got stuff to give me?_

"Yes," Atem replied quietly, and he hastily switched to thoughts. _I also need to show you what he looks like. I'm sure there might be many humans with the same name, so a photo would help you, wouldn't it?_

 _Yeah, a pic would help,_ Joey said, his head turning slowly as he surveyed the empty throne room, clearly on high-alert. _Where's it at? Your room? Let's go before Tristan asks where I am._

 _The photo is…in Confinement,_ Atem began nervously, and Joey grew visibly paler.

"Oh shit," Joey said anxiously, shifting his spear from one hand to the other. "I've never been there."

"It's not as bad as you think," Atem reassured him, feeling a pang of guilt. He had neglected to pay Mai and Anzu a visit these past few moons after having met Joey and his friends, and he wondered if they thought badly of him for not visiting enough.

"Alright, if ya say so," Joey said bravely. "Let's go now before anyone asks where we are."

Atem nodded and led the way, very thankful that Joey was such a reliable and supportive friend.

* * *

Atem and Joey hovered above the dark crevice and to Atem's surprise, Joey dove straight down into it without hesitating, wearing a determined look on his face.

"You're not frightened?" Atem asked carefully, beating his tail rapidly in the water as he struggled to keep up with Joey's pace, and his friend shook his head.

 _I got someone to protect, so I'm never afraid_ , Joey answered boldly.

"HALT!"

A familiar female voice greeted them in the darkness as they slowed down, and Atem felt himself smile.

"It's me, Mai," Atem called back, hearing his voice sound muffled as it bounced around in the narrow rocks surrounding them.

"Who is he?" Mai asked suspiciously, floating slowly towards them and glaring at Joey. Atem felt Joey tense beside him and send him a private thought.

 _H-HOLY SHIT. A GODDESS._

"He's a warrior friend of mine," Atem reassured her. "I'm being guarded constantly now. I come seeking the photograph of Seto Kaiba to show him."

Mai sighed sympathetically and reached forward to loop her arm through Atem's much tanner one, throwing Joey a haughty look over her shoulder. "Wait here, Guard."

Joey said nothing and gaped shamelessly, his mouth opening and closing with incredulity as he stared obnoxiously at her breasts.

Rolling her eyes, Mai pulled Atem gently through the water and leaned in to whisper, "A gawker. Is he really your friend?"

"Yes, he is," Atem answered warmly, letting Mai lead them deeper into fissure and he squeezed her arm reassuringly, bursting with secrets to tell.

Hopefully, Joey would consider the sight of Mai as a debt re-paid.

* * *

Kaiba watched Mokuba escort his girlfriend into the limousine and close the door for her. He then stood by the car and waved until they drove off down the road past their property.

 _I forgot her name,_ Kaiba thought dimly to himself, deciding he wouldn't ask, because he didn't care that much. As long as Mokuba liked her, and she wasn't harboring any malicious thoughts about fame, money or power, all was fine….

"Hey, you!" Mokuba called rudely, and Kaiba almost tripped on his own feet when he realized his brother was addressing him.

"Is that my name now?" Kaiba asked dumbfoundedly, turning around to face Mokuba. "What's the matter with you?"

"No, what's the matter with _you_?" Mokuba snapped, his demeanor changing rapidly. "You run off anytime we go somewhere. She keeps saying, _'I want to get to know your infamous brother better'_ and you're nowhere to be seen!"

 _Gosh, Seto is THE WORST when it comes to stuff like this. It's like I'm talking to a five-year-old kid!_

"Infamous?" Kaiba echoed, wondering about the stories people were spinning about him in the press. Mokuba seemed really upset for no reason.

"You act like she's nothing but air, you don't say 'hi' to her, ever, and you don't even acknowledge her," Mokuba ranted, sounding close to hysterics. "I bet you don't even know her name!"

 _Seto doesn't know her name, I'm pretty fucking sure._

"Do I need to know her name?" Kaiba asked, now wishing there was a way he could read Mokuba's mind to learn her name in order to calm him down.

"What's her name?" Mokuba challenged, crossing his arms and planting his feet apart resolutely. "Tell me, right the fuck now."

"Watch your fucking language," Kaiba muttered, and he probed Mokuba's thoughts frantically for an answer, but all he got was:

 _I bet he doesn't even know how long I've been dating her._

Kaiba felt his stomach drop to his feet and became slightly lightheaded.

"How long have you been dating her?" he heard himself ask through numb lips, and Mokuba's mouth dropped open in anger and shock.

"You don't know?" Mokuba asked incredulously, and Kaiba could hear Isono's thoughts enter the conversation.

 _Is Mokuba talking about Ayame-san? Do the boys want to come in? It's getting cold and windy…._

"Ayame," Kaiba said instantly, and to his surprise, Mokuba rounded on Isono.

"Stop telling him the answer! Go away, Isono!"

Slightly unnerved, Kaiba turned to see Isono bow hastily and walk away from the door.

"What the fuck?" Kaiba asked, seeing Mokuba flush with anger. "He didn't say anything."

"He probably thought about it, and you heard it in his mind," Mokuba answered cleverly, sounding very impatient. "Because apparently you're some crazy mind-reader now. Isono and I, we talk to each other. I know what happens in my own home, Seto."

Swallowing thinly, Kaiba nodded and mirrored Mokuba's stance, folding his arms tightly and wincing from the throbbing pain still coming from the back of his neck.

"Oh yeah, and…are you on _drugs?!"_ Mokuba continued, looking close to tears. "I found a ton of _needles_ in your bag, Seto. I thought I forgot to pack my swimsuit, so I looked in your bag to borrow yours, and I found _this!_ "

To Kaiba's horror, his little brother held up a fresh syringe still in the wrapper.

"Is it heroin? What is it?!" Mokuba cried, also digging out an empty vial from his pocket. "What's in these? Are you okay, Seto? I don't care that you don't know her name or how long we've been dating. Why are you acting so removed from reality?"

"How long have you been dating her?" Kaiba asked again, growing numb all over. "And has it always been the same girl?"

"SEE?! This is what I'm talking about!" Mokuba shrieked, his voice cracking terribly with emotion. "It's drugs, isn't it? Let's get you to a hospital, right now! Right now, get in the car! I'm driving!"

"It's not drugs," Kaiba replied impatiently, but Mokuba was hearing none of it, talking over him hysterically.

"You never sleep, you never eat, your skin is turning grey, and all you do is stay at the beach property. I bet if Ayame moved in with me, you wouldn't even know cuz you're barely at home!"

"I'm turning grey?" Kaiba asked, startled, and he glanced down at his fingertips, recalling that Atem's fingers had started going grey when he was sick.

"Where… _are you_ , Seto?" Mokuba whispered, tears rolling down his face as he spoke through his hiccups. "I've been dating _the same girl_ for the past six years now, almost seven. I'm thinking about proposing to her after we graduate."

"What?" Kaiba blinked rapidly, "You're too young to get married. You talk big for a high schooler, don't you?"

"I'm completing my _graduate studies_ from _graduate school_ next year!" Mokuba shouted, glaring at his brother through his tears of frustration. "I'm marrying a girl I met in the last year of high school! We go to different schools, but she saves up to fly over here, and she won't even let me pay for her flights! That's the kind of person she is, but you wouldn't know that, would you?!"

Kaiba swayed violently on the spot, nodding.  
He couldn't stop nodding.  
He was trying to show that he understood.  
A lot of time had passed, and he didn't even realize it.  
Mokuba had…grown up incredibly fast...while he had been chasing a mythological phenomenon that had happened for one week in his life.

"She wants to know you better, so that's how I know she's really serious about getting married!" Mokuba raged, balling his fists up at his sides. "The next time she comes over, say something to her, or just stop being my brother."

Kaiba grit his teeth, the words cutting him painfully. "What the fuck do you mean by that?"

"It means, stop being a fucking wierdo!" Mokuba shouted, unable to keep his emotions in check. He had kept these feelings bottled up for years and years, watching Seto becoming more and more reclusive as time went on, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I'm cool and popular," Mokuba insisted, shaking his head. "Seen a magazine cover lately? Of course you haven't. I'm all over them. Wanna know what people say about you?"

"No. No thanks," Kaiba began, "that's why I don't read that garbage—"

"They say you're some kind of lost cause," Mokuba interrupted brutally. "Something happened to you, Seto, something made you like this, because you weren't like this before. Right after we launched the cosmetics line, you turned into this…thirty-year old _fucking weirdo_!"

"Hey," Kaiba protested, but Mokuba wasn't finished.

"You were also photographed on a street right outside a yakuza establishment a couple months ago," Mokuba cried, glaring at Isono who had appeared in the doorway again. "GO AWAY, ISONO! And where were you on this trip, Seto? Gone somewhere to pump yourself up full of drugs? Is that where you're getting them from? The yakuza are giving you drugs?!"

"It's not drugs!" Kaiba raised his voice, desperate to be heard. "Who do you think I am, Mokuba? I'm not an idiot."

"I don't know _who_ you are!" Mokuba breathed, his chest heaving as he tried to contain his hysterics. "I don't know who you've become! If you're not downstairs in the lab talking to the rats, you're alone on the beach until sunrise. And that's all you do! And yes, _I know that_ because Isono tells me!"

Kaiba turned around to give the old man in the doorway and accusatory glare. So Isono was tattling on him now?

"Don't blame him," Mokuba said knowingly. "I asked him to tell me. Whatever the case, you're always _alone,_ with your _drugs_ , and your _rats_ , and your visits to the yakuza five cities over."

Kaiba's mouth dropped open, and he found that his voice had disappeared.

"This stops now, Seto," Mokuba said sadly. "I don't want Ayame to know that my big brother is this kind of person, because you're not. You're showing everyone a horrible side of you, and you're not doing anything to change it. You're being selfish, and it's making us all look bad as a family."

"It's fish scales, and vitamins," Kaiba said, trying to save face. "I can show you, kid—"

"DON'T call me a kid!" Mokuba yelled, his ears growing red with embarrassment and rage. "And fine, even if its not drugs, everything else you're doing is making everyone worry. You haven't had a boyfriend or girlfriend in ten years… _yes, I've been counting_. Ten years. I was fourteen when I saw you kissing a random guy who came out of your bedroom at 7AM. I'm 24 now. You've been single for ten years—"

"It…hasn't been ten years…", Kaiba whispered, feeling faint. "Since when were you…24? You were still 18…asking me for a car…"

"Is _that_ the last thing you remember?" Mokuba said quietly, wiping the stray tears off his cheek with his palm. "Maybe it really is drugs. I don't believe you, Seto. I haven't had an older brother recently, so I wouldn't know left from right—so prove me wrong. Start behaving like the Seto that I know and love."

Kaiba fell silent, his eyes burning with tears of hurt and frustration.  
Yeah, he had been a shitty brother.  
Mokuba was planning on getting married, holy shit!

"And…Ayame said she wanted kids by the time she's 26," Mokuba whispered, his voice barely audible in the wind that had begun to pick up around them. It was completely dark now, and Isono was still standing in the doorway of the mansion, the light from the inside casting a yellow tint on Mokuba's grief-stricken face.

"I'm not gonna let my…. _drug-addicted_ brother anywhere _near_ my future kids," Mokuba breathed. "I'm going to take her last name. The Kaiba legacy ends with you, big bro. I know G-Gozaburo really…did a number on you when we were kids. I know, cuz I'm not blind or stupid."

Kaiba grit his teeth so hard, his vision turned green. A familiar wave of nausea was rising, and he took deep, shuddering breaths, attempting to remain composed.

Right.  
Mokuba wasn't blind or stupid.  
He knew what things were when he saw them, and Kaiba understood that his own actions probably did look like a bad addict struggling to get his fix.

Except the drug wasn't an illicit substance…it was Atem.

"So, we're going to the hospital…now," Mokuba spoke through clenched teeth, pointing at the garage in the distance. "Prove to me that it's not drugs. Start behaving like a normal human being. Attend my birthday parties, my press conferences, my graduation ceremonies, my interviews and photoshoots, and for fuck's sake, show a happy face to a camera once in a while, or don't show it at all. You're being…"

 _Disgraceful. Embarrassing. And it kills me to see you like this, big bro._

Kaiba nodded mutely, tears collecting painfully in his lower lids as he heard Mokuba finish the sentence in his thoughts.  
He couldn't help but agree that he was acting like a disgrace to his own name.

"See you at the car in ten minutes," Mokuba said, walking off slowly while sniffing audibly.

Kaiba lowered his head and let the tears fall out his eyes, hating himself for becoming so unrefined. Everything Mokuba said was right, aside from the drugs statement, he really was struggling to live life without Atem, and it was showing…badly.  
Very badly.

He heard an audible gasp behind him, and Isono's worried thoughts flooded his mind.

 _MY GOODNESS! What is that bandage behind his neck?! An injury?!_

 _Relax, it's a tattoo, old man, now shut up,_ Kaiba shot back angrily, palming his tears off his face and feeling something gritty rub off in his hands.

He gazed down at it, shocked to discover that it was a tiny diamond.

Reeling with a mixture of wonder and distress, Kaiba held it up to the light between two fingers, seeing it sparkle cleanly back at him. Holy fucking shit.

He knelt down quickly and patted the concrete around his shoes, taking out his phone and using the flashlight to see if there were any more of his diamond tears.

Sure enough, several gleaming gems were littered around his dress shoes. Kaiba fell heavily onto his knees, his heart thudding rapidly inside his chest, a thousand beats per minute.

This…was… _phenomenal._

Something about the PH in his tears had created diamonds? He needed to get these into a lab as fast as humanly possible! Were these real diamonds?

Isono let out an awkward cough, and Kaiba spun around to stare at his manservant, who was observing him keenly from the front door with a worried frown on his face.

"I'm crying diamonds," Kaiba said matter-of-factly. "Come, take these to a lab."

Isono visibly shook and turned white as a sheet.

 _Master Kaiba said what? Crying…diamonds?_

"Yes, come look, and Mokuba's expecting me, so hurry the fuck up," Kaiba said excitedly, his sorrow melting away quickly at this new discovery.

Isono hurried out of the house and knelt beside Kaiba, gazing dubiously into Kaiba's palm.

"You had those in your pocket, Master Kaiba," Isono said gruffly, annoyed that Kaiba was trying to lighten the mood with such a childish joke. "Give me those, and go to a hospital now, as your brother requested."

"You don't fucking believe me!" Kaiba exclaimed, feeling annoyed. "I'm not high or crazy! If you won't take them into a lab, leave them on my desk."

"I'll do it, I will," Isono replied hastily, accepting the palmful of diamonds from Kaiba with trembling hands. "But please….be well, Master Kaiba. I have seen you administer yourself with whatever you put in the syringes. Who do you think signs for the packages of these needles, sir? And it's no secret—"

"Yeah, you all think I'm high and crazy all the time," Kaiba said, standing up slowly and making his way towards the garage, but apparently Isono was intent on giving him an earful too.

"And I believe it began early, with your vomiting!" Isono insisted boldly, pocketing the gems and crossing his arms sternly. "Your vomiting increased, then decreased, then increased again. You no longer consume alcohol, and you don't even take medication for headaches! I know you do this because everyone knows that mixing drugs is dangerous. Master Kaiba—"

"Oh my fucking god, this conversation is over," Kaiba fumed, stalking off across the grass towards the garage. "I'm not high!"

 _No one believes you!_ Isono shouted back furiously in his thoughts. _I know you can hear me, so you can't run away, young master. Confront your issues in the hospital. Find a nice girl, and marry her. Take example from your brother, won't you?_

 _Shut up, shut up,_ Kaiba chanted, seeing headlights in the distance as the sound of the engine started with a roar.

But Isono was keen on letting out his feelings too, and Kaiba was beginning to feel attacked.

 _If it's 'vitamins' like you say, then why do you vomit?_ Isono continued, _Why am I signing packages for thousands of needles every few months? Why do you need to speak with yakuza? We know why! It's because your supply runs out, and you vomit!_

Kaiba growled angrily to himself and yanked the passenger door handle with more force than was necessary and threw himself into the seat beside Mokuba.

"Good, it only took you forever to get your ass over here," Mokuba said ruthlessly, stamping on the pedal, causing the car to lurch forward.

"I'm not on drugs!" Kaiba insisted, also sending the furious thought towards Isono. _I'm NOT ON DRUGS, stop lecturing me!_

 _No! You need to hear this_! Isono replied anxiously, his figure nowhere to be seen, but his voice was as strong as ever. Kaiba winced, beginning to regret everything.

 _I know you don't plan on having any children given how you can barely take care of yourself, so I have made an agreement with young Mokuba…_

"…And they'll keep you for as long as they need to…until you're clean…"

 _…stating that we will not let you anywhere near children if your habit continues. How did you let yourself slip this far, Master Kaiba? I honestly blame myself sometimes…_

"...I already called ahead and told them we're coming. No cameras. Back entrance only, and you'll be under supervision even when you're asleep, so no sneaking…"

 _…And I wonder if there was a way I could've prevented you from hurting yourself. I'm very sorry to have failed you…Master Kaiba…_

Feeling very fragile, Kaiba pressed his hands into his face and let himself cry in earnest. Everything was shitty. He had somehow ruined his own image, and caused Isono to become a worried, lecturing old bat, and even forced Mokuba into a position where he was acting like _his_ older brother, scolding him while driving him to the hospital.

He felt the gritty tears leave his lids and gather in the cracks of his fingers. Everything hurt. His heart hurt, his head hurt, his stomach hurt…his soul was hurting.

And Mokuba was _still_ lecturing him.

"…You made Isono worry so much, one night, he came into my room and _cried_ while telling me about it! You made him fucking cry, Seto. I've never seen that in my entire life! That's when I knew it had to stop."

 _Stop talking…I'm only hurting myself,_ Kaiba thought numbly.

Mokuba heard this but kept going.

"You probably think you're so cool, on top of the world, making all this money, all cuz you invented this cool tech thing that lets you communicate telepathically. But that doesn't excuse your disgusting behavior."

Disgusting behavior?  
Frustrated, Kaiba let out a pained yell, thoroughly sick of being misunderstood.

He heard his voice shake the cabin of the car, and suddenly, all the windows shattered. Glass cascaded down around his shoulders, and his eardrums thrummed strangely.

Mokuba stamped on the brakes and came to a screeching halt in the middle of the deserted freeway, his eyes wide with fear, his chest heaving, his lap covered with shards of broken glass.

All the windows in the convertible had shattered, including the windshield.

Kaiba opened his eyes and gazed down in his palms, staring at the pile of diamonds in his hands. Several had slipped through the cracks and landed on his legs, mixed in with the shards of glass, gleaming at him softly as they reflected the silvery moon above their heads.

"H-Holy…f—" Mokuba gasped, composing himself enough to maneuver the car onto the side of the road. He sat very still with his hands glued to the wheel, his eyes wide, staring straight ahead at nothing.

Stunned, Kaiba stared at the diamonds in his palms.  
This was not a dream. This was not a dream.  
This was real.

"What…the _fuck_ , Seto!" Mokuba cried, turning to give his brother a fearful look and staring at the diamonds in Kaiba's hands. "Where'd you get those diamonds? Are you carrying some kind of ultrasonic device to get you out of bad situations?! You didn't have to do that here! This was my favorite car!"

"I cried them," Kaiba said monotonously, very tired of explaining himself. "Do these sequences of events ring a bell?"

"Yeah, yeah it does," Mokuba said heatedly, getting out of the car gingerly to brush himself off, trying to avoid all the glass. "You're mimicking the time when you captured that mermaid. If you're trying to scare me, it's not gonna work, Seto. We're still going to a hospital whether you like it or not."

Kaiba grit his teeth in frustrated silence. It seemed this was so unbelievable, no one would listen to him until he took a drug test and proved himself clean.

"Get out and brush off the glass," Mokuba commanded, sounding very determined. "You're very smart, Seto, but I know you, and I know your tricks. You're gonna try to worm your way out of this, but there's no way out."

Mokuba circled the car and opened the door for his older brother, stepping back to let the shower of glass fall down at his feet.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba carefully edged himself out of the car and jumped up and down glumly, feeling the glass fall off his body.

He pocketed the diamonds and watched Mokuba take off his hoodie to use it as a barrier between his ass and the glass-covered seat.

"Get in," Mokuba said dully. "I was even nice enough to drive the long way around beside the ocean, but clearly you've lost that privilege."

"I'm not high," Kaiba repeated fruitlessly, and he got back in the car, not bothering to clear his seat of glass. He was going to heal anyway, so why bother?

* * *

Underneath the water, thousands of leagues below, the entire kingdom of Muran perked their ears up and glanced upwards fearfully.

Atem bolted upright in bed and shivered, his bones vibrating strangely in response to the scream. He had felt that merperson's pure anguish and sorrow, coupled with unending desperation.  
Did his scream affect everyone like that? Terrifying.

"A cry! Someone is hurt!" Mana cried, whizzing through the hallways in a panic, banging on everyone's door. "Atem! Shada! Mahad! Rishid! Priestess Isis! Solomon—"

"Mana!" Atem burst out of his room to join her in rousing everyone. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes," Mana replied tearfully, grasping tightly onto Atem's hands with both of hers. "It felt worse than yours, if you can believe that! Emergency gathering in the throne room, now!"

Atem swam beside her, keeping up with her frantic pace as he asked, "How did mine feel?"

"Angry, and trapped," Mana said solemnly, gabbing Atem's hand and not letting go. "We knew you were being held somewhere against your will. This one…felt…."

"Like a thousand years of pain and sorrow," Atem finished for her. He was also having a hard time describing how that felt, but he could relate to it, strangely. It also almost felt like heartbreak, but that couldn't be right.

They arrived in the throne room, where Shadi, Solomon and Mahad were already waiting, floating in an anxious circle, bobbing up and down in the water.

"Not one of ours," Mahad growled sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "That was a different resonance. Perhaps a neighboring colony. It sounded very Pure."

"Is that why we can feel it so deeply?" Mana demanded tearfully, "Whoever let out that cry is hurting right now!"

"Exactly," Atem nodded, unsure of how to proceed. "We need to help them."

"No need to take immediate action," Solomon said stiffly. "If it's not one of ours, we don't need to get involved."

Atem clenched his fists in anger, "So if it was the neighboring colony's grandson who's been captured, you won't rouse yourself to help them?"

"Don't fight, don't fight," Isis swam forward quickly, holding her hands up between Atem and Solomon, sensing hostility. "Remember, we have a team of warriors being deployed onshore very soon, right, Mahad? We can send them up early to see if anyone can find the merperson calling for help."

"Is it a man, woman, or child?" Rishid asked, directing this question at Mana and Mana closed her eyes and trying to analyze the scream.

"A male, but I can't determine the age or race, strangely enough," she said quietly. "But it was a Pure scream indeed, given how we all felt it deeply."

Then, she spun around to grab both of Atem's hands in hers, "My king, swim quickly to the warrior's quarters! Rouse your friends! Perhaps they may be brave enough to surface sooner than the intended date."

Atem nodded quickly and shot off through the water, leaving behind him a trail of white bubbles, and Solomon let out an angry growl.

"Why are you sending him on such a useless task?" The old merman asked, raising his staff in protest. "Mahad has a messenger for that purpose."

"I think I know who it is," Mana said firmly, gazing at the faces around her with a determined grimace. "It's the merman who Atem loves. Seto Kaiba."

A sigh echoed through the court and Shadi's face turned an unpleasant shade of purple.

"Again, Mana, it's not that we don't believe you…" Isis began carefully, "But perhaps it was another merman Atem was mating with."

"No," Mana shook her head fervently. "I asked Atem who he was, and he answered me truthfully. He said that man's name was Seto Kaiba. They were laying together in the sand for longer than 500 heartbeats."

"Humans can hold their breath," Shada added, looking skeptical, but Mana talked over him excitedly.

"He was wide awake and sending me insults…about you, Mahad!"

"Me?" Mahad frowned, "What did he say? You neglected to mention this before."

"Because I only remembered it just now," Mana said, exasperated. "He said, 'send that Warrior my regards.'"

"That sounds too polite," Rishid said with a smile. "I heard him onshore, and he doesn't speak that way."

"It was him!" Mana insisted shrilly. "He looked and acted annoyingly Pure. He had brown hair, blue eyes, fair skin…and he even had a fin, but he was hiding it! He had claws!"

Everyone nodded stiffly, listening to Mana politely, but looks of doubt were still obvious on everyone's faces.

"He could've been hiding his legs," Mahad said gently, not wanting to argue with Mana. "And if it was Seto Kaiba, what was he doing on a shore in Spain?"

"He's on an Assignment," Mana said aggressively. "I know types like him. He'll follow Atem around until he's satisfied and then disappear. Mark my words."

"There is a way to confirm if this Seto Kaiba is human or merman once and for all," Solomon said tiredly, thoroughly fed up with the topic. "Mahad, summon the warriors who are going onshore and ask them to spy on this man. If he is a merman, there will be tell-tale signs he cannot hide."

"Agreed," Mahad nodded, floating towards the hallway exit. "Are we still keeping this information from Atem?"

"We'll tell him when we know if he is human or merman," Mana said firmly, folding her arms across her chest. "Atem is very taken with him, he won't hear one bad word against Seto Kaiba. We will gather evidence, and then present it to him. He can't refuse facts."

"Very clever Mana, I'm going back to bed," Shadi said with a groan and stretch. "If Seto Kaiba is a merman, I'd love to fight him."

"If he is a Warrior, you would've seen a Mark," Mahad mused, and Mana frowned, answering quickly, "He kept his back against the rock. He wasn't moving at all when he saw me. He behaved like a warrior on guard, and even sounded like a Scholar in his thoughts."

Mahad mirrored Mana's frown and nodded. "I see. Well, he is either a very skilled Undercover Warrior, or a very stupid human. When I heard his thoughts, he was singing nonsensical songs."

"It's a warrior tactic, is it not?" Isis asked, passing him by and giving him a sleepy wave. "Throw your enemy off with nonsense while you plot away. Even I know that. Goodnight, Warrior Mahad."

Mahad folded his arms across his chest, feeling increasingly unsettled as the throne room emptied.

Had he somehow missed the signs that Seto Kaiba was a Warrior? He was wearing clothes that covered his entire body, even his neck. Everything about their encounter was unsettling, especially the way he had blatantly read his mind.

 _Perhaps he is a Warrior!_ Mahad thought worriedly to himself, beginning to doubt his own abilities to spot his own kind on land.

Just as that thought left him, Atem swam rapidly into the throne room, panting and out of breath, flanked by his three warrior friends.

"Ah, perfect timing," Mahad said stiffly, nodding gratefully at Atem. "Please give us a moment."

"He can stay cuz he's cool, right?" Tristan asked nervously, shifting his spear from shoulder to shoulder, clearly nervous in the presence of a warrior stronger than himself.

"No, I'm afraid this will be a confidential briefing," Mahad said solemnly, giving Atem a thankful pat on the shoulder and sending him off down the hall. "Rest, my king."

Atem threw Joey a grim look. His friend mirrored his expression and nodded. He knew Joey would tell him everything in private later. There were no secrets between them.

Mahad noticed this and waited until Atem rounded the corner before he addressed the other two mermen named Joey and Duke, "You're both dismissed. I only require one man for this job."

The three men glanced around and pointed fingers comically at one another.

"You're dismissed."

"No, he said _you're_ dismissed."

"Why me?! He clearly meant _you_ , ya dolt!"

"Apologies," Mahad said deeply, rubbing his forehead in exhaustion. "I meant to dismiss you both, Warriors Tristan and Duke. Thank you for your service, and please wait at the end of the hall."

Slack-jawed with dismay, Duke and Tristan floated away, grumbling while shooting dirty looks at Joey over their shoulders.

Joey fidgeted nervously and bowed stiffly, stammering, "Uh, um…I'm not the best guy for your job. I failed all my exams like ya said…and you only picked me cuz Atem likes me—"

"Wrong," Mahad corrected gently, grabbing Joey by the shoulders and gazing deep into his kind brown eyes. "Gaining a king's trust and being likable is a wonderful trait to possess as a warrior. Now, I believe you can go to shore and gain the trust of a certain someone."

"Oh man…you're sendin' me on like, an Undercover type of thing?" Joey asked, his eyes widening in panic. "I don't know nothin' about that!"

"Just behave like yourself, and it will be enough," Mahad said firmly, giving Joey a solid shake. "The person's name is Seto Kaiba. We would like to know more about him. Mana believes he is an Undercover Warrior."

Joey's mouth dropped open and he closed it with a click, listening attentively.

"If the situation is not dangerous, you can approach him, and be his friend…if possible," Mahad said, letting go of Joey's shoulders. "Look for his Mark if he has one. Look for tell-tale signs of shore sickness, common in merpeople who haven't soaked in a Chrysalis for over a decade."

Joey grit his teeth tightly and nodded, doing his best to keep his questions to himself. If Seto Kaiba was a merman, wouldn't Atem know?

"Atem would _not_ know because this Seto Kaiba would have lied about it," Mahad said smoothly, anticipating Joey's questions. "A true Undercover Warrior never gives away their motive, even in the face of love or adversity. It is in their Code. That's why it's a dying profession. Many Undercover Warriors perish before completing their Assignment and never return."

Joey gulped visibly and nodded. Scary.

"Don't ask him to reveal himself," Mahad said sternly, "Because he won't tell you. And lastly, don't blow your own cover if Seto Kaiba _is_ human. Remember, we believe he was the one who captured Atem."

"But Atem said it was an accident," Joey blurted, "His tail got speared by a weapon, and he was immobilized in a trash-filled net. He wasn't even sure Kaiba was the responsible party until he opened his eyes and found himself in a tank."

"Really?" Mahad's eyes widened, wondering why there was so much new information he had not yet learned. "What else?"

"Ah...n-nothing," Joey waved a hand across his face nervously, thinking he had already said too much. "This Kaiba guy gave him food, brushed his tail, and even made him a homey little pool with the same water we have here. Th-That's all."

"I did not know this," Mahad said through gritted teeth, his fury rising steadily. "Kaiba brushed Atem's tail on land? He _must_ be a merman. That's a dirty mating tactic used by mermaids who want to trick men into laying their eggs."

"I-I dunno…" Joey said nervously, shaking his head and backing away slowly. "Sorry, Warrior Mahad. Atem is my friend, and I can't spy on this Kaiba guy for you, even if he is a merman."

"Well, I believe we need proof, now more than ever," Mahad fumed. "Please, Joey, if you can do this, you will earn another Mark for your bravery and service. I'll speak to the Board about it. Would you like that?"

Joey blinked rapidly and shook his head before nodding tentatively. "Can I ...think about it?"

"No time," Mahad said furiously. "You will surface soon. There was a scream, and everyone in neighboring colonies will also be deploying their warriors to find this merperson. Mana believes it was Seto Kaiba who made the scream."

Joey nodded stiffly, "Wow, I mean, girls got a better feelin' for these things, right? That's what I learned…literally last week."

"And I fear she may be right," Mahad said seriously, reaching forward to grab Joey's hands in his and give them a solid squeeze. "Please do this for me, for Atem, and for our kingdom. We might have a lot to gain by approaching an Undercover Warrior."

A horn sounded in the distance, and Joey perked his ears up, feeling himself sweat.

It was a call to arms.

"I needta say goodbye to Atem first," Joey said desperately, already swimming away towards the hall. "I'll meet everyone at the Chrysalis! I can't just go without telling him!"

Mahad nodded and watched Joey swim off rapidly. He sighed and placed his hands together in a small prayer to the gods, hoping that Deployment would go smoothly, and for Atem's future happiness without Seto Kaiba in the picture.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Joey sees Mai for the first time and is lovestruck.  
Kaiba got a warrior's mark and Mokuba thinks he's doing drugs. He lets out a scream that sends the underwater king and queendoms into a frenzy…what will happen next?

 _(edited by taedae)_

so i've been working on this story for the better part of the year now, according to my postdates, i started this story on jan 4th! I think this might be the longest story i've ever done to date, even longer than 8sidedshape, because as of this post, i am writing chapter 42.  
yes.  
FORTY TWO.  
I'm not sure if i should be disappointed or amazed at myself for either dragging this story out for too long? or giving it all the time it deserves...  
either way, i have an ending in mind (a happy one, i hope, nothing like the dark twist in 8sidedshape) and i want to give this story a glorious finish, no matter how long it takes!

thank you for sticking with me for so long. i really appreciate your love and support for these stories i write, and for the ygo fandom itself.

Your reading support has really given me confidence and helped me grow into a better writer.  
I seriously owe you the world (HUGS hugs hugs hugs)

-ugli


	27. Chapter 27

Mana sat on Atem's bed, hugging him tightly while he struggled not to cry.

"Did it feel like heartbreak for you?" Atem asked. Mana pulled away and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Yes," she whispered, wrapping her hands warmly around Atem's larger ones. "I've only met him once, and never spoken to him, but it sounds…like him. It sounds like what you've told me of him."

"Did you see an image? Anything?" Atem pressed, desperate for more information. Joey, Tristan, and Duke were leaving him soon, and he was going to be alone…again. The next decade was going to pass by unbearably slow.

"No, it was all raw feeling," Mana said, gazing upwards with a slightly awestruck expression. "It was …so horrible. Perhaps this is why you love him so much. Mating with him must feel like the extreme opposite of this."

Atem managed a weak smile and a nod, "That is true. I've lost myself several times when mating with him."

An urgent knock at the door interrupted their heart-to-heart, and Joey's voice floated into Atem's thoughts.

 _Yo! King! Hurry, open up! We gotta talk!_

"I'll leave," Mana said hastily, zooming to the door and brushing past Joey with a friendly smile. "I heard the Call to Arms a few heartbeats ago. Good luck, Warrior Joey."

"Thanks," Joey said carelessly, and he dove into Atem's room, slamming the door behind himself and pressing his ear against it, waiting for Mana to be out of range.

"What is it?" Atem asked, slightly alarmed by the skittish behavior from his usually laid-back friend. "What did Mahad want to discuss?"

"Seto Kaiba!" Joey cried, not bothering to keep his voice down. "Your people think that Kaiba is a merman Undercover, doin' his Assignment!"

"Oh, not that again," Atem rolled his eyes, and Joey sank tiredly to the floor of Atem's room, tucking his tail beneath himself neatly.

"So ya know. Good, it's not a secret then," Joey said, looking visibly relieved. "Mahad is askin' me to see if I can weed Kaiba out as a merman who hasn't seen a Gene Pool in a decade. He should be lookin' kinda sick, barfin' and dizzy…. the usual shore sickness stuff."

"He's human!" Atem cried, his wonder rising at Kaiba's ability to fool merpeople. "He's an exceptional human, but a human nonetheless."

Joey nodded, "Yep. Mahad said he'd lie to you about bein' human."

Atem sighed dramatically and shook his head. Joey would see for himself when he got on land. Kaiba was human, one hundred percent.

"Hey, can we talk about that mermaid, Mai?" Joey asked heatedly, blushing a deep red. "The one we met in Confinement for like three seconds. I like her."

"Oh. Great," Atem said plainly, uninterested. "She won't like you. Even though she's your Ideal Maiden, humans are her preference."

"I'm gonna _be_ human!" Joey cried, rising from the sand excitedly. "Can you get her out and have her meet me? That would be so awesome! She'll pay attention to me for sure!"

Atem nodded, smiling softly, "Yes, I can try. Anything for you, my friend."

"Awesome, thanks," Joey said, holding out his hand awkwardly. "Now gimme the stuff you want me to bring up. I don't know if we'll see each other again until I return. I'll give you a map to my hidey-hole too, just in case."

Atem took Joey's hand without hesitation and closed his eyes, seeing a series of images flashing through his mind.

A pink reef, a towering cliff, dipping down into emerald green waters, and a solid hole was carved out in the wall of stone, hugging an adjacent yellow-sanded beach.

"What a good map," Atem said happily, withdrawing his hand with a nod. "That must be one of your strengths."

"Is it?" Joey scratched his head and shrugged. "I guess I'm just good at thinkin' about it. Gimme the disgusting loot and I gotta jet. The horn was 1,000 heartbeats ago. I'm gonna be in trouble if I don't show my face."

Atem hastily dove under his bed and grabbed the seaweed sack filled with empty bottles Joey had given him several moons ago. Those bottles he had shamefully filled with his own seed while sinfully touching himself and imagining Kaiba's pale hands roaming over his body.

Feeling his face heat up uncontrollably, Atem bowed his head as he handed Joey the sack.

"I'm a stand-up guy, aren't I?" Joey grinned, hoisting the sack on this shoulder and giving Atem a playful salute. "See ya' next decade. I'll come back with goodies. You and Serenity better throw me a raging welcome party!"

"It will be…a rager," Atem said with effort, trying to smile. "Thank you for being such a good friend to me, Joey."

Joey grinned brightly and swam to the door, swinging it open and giving Atem one last look, "See ya later, alligator!"

Atem swallowed thinly and nodded, trying to stem the lump of sadness rising in his chest.

The last of Joey's bubbles vanished, and Atem sat himself down heavily on his bed, biting back tears of anger and frustration.

Alone. Alone again.

* * *

Kaiba sat underneath the water, meditating.

Everything was so calm and serene down here. The only annoying thing was the whispering of the fish and the loud swishing of seaweed around him.

There was also someone muttering to themselves.

Annoyed, Kaiba tried his best to ignore it as he counted his own heartbeats. He had learned how to do this after vomiting a few times from being submerged too long.

60 heartbeats were approximately one minute.  
For now, he could last three hours underwater without air.  
He had run multiple tests on himself and learned that since he had been injecting himself with scales so regularly, his heartbeats had become extremely steady, steady enough to keep time.

After being hospitalized for being a 'drug addict' at Mokuba's insistence, the doctors had come into his exam room, singing his praises, saying he was in excellent health.

It was then that Mokuba finally believed him when he said the injections were fish scales and vitamins, but Isono was still suspicious.

Even now, the old man was probably standing at the window of the beach property, watching him do these submerging experiments and judging him harshly.

Kaiba sighed and saw a stream of bubbles leave his mouth.  
Shit. He needed to keep air inside his lungs, or he was going to vomit water and suffocate like the first time he had stayed underwater for more than two hours.

In his fervent researching, he still hadn't managed to find the mystery substance that prevented suffocation.

Slug or slag. Mutt.

Damn, he needed some of that shit, and fast.

If Isono saw him barf on land one more damn time…the old man was never going to stop lecturing him in his mind. Something had changed that day, and Kaiba was pretty sure it was for the worse.

It seemed his manservant had finally come to terms with his telepathic abilities and was now abusing the two-way channel, using it to lecture him at every instance, from the way he took his coffee past 2 in the afternoon, to what he ate, or didn't eat, for dinner.  
He was beginning to sound like a mother hen.

Also, while he had been applying ointment to his still-healing tattoo, Isono was right behind him, sending him nagging thoughts about how he could've gotten an _infection_ …and _died_ from it.

Isono also began scolding him for driving off the property too fast, claiming he was going 80 miles per hour on the driveway when the speedometer clearly said 20.

Other horrible instances of Isono's preaching was when he suggested Kaiba go to clubs, to meet men or women.  
Or how he should attend matchmaking sessions, to meet men, or women.  
Or how he should attend company mixers, to meet men or women.

Isono had gained a strange confidence because he realized speaking freely in his mind was easier than talking aloud, so everything was coming out—unfiltered.  
It was agonizing.

Kaiba's only solace now was escaping underwater, where Isono's intrusive thoughts wouldn't follow him.

 _Two…no, four… Ah, I can't remember._

 _SHUT UP!_ Kaiba shouted at the voice, wondering if it was another merperson. _Or show yourself! You're being really fucking annoying._

 _How-How rude!_ The voice sputtered, _open your eyes Merman! I'm here to deliver a message!_

 _Not a merman,_ Kaiba thought tiredly, cracking an eyelid open and seeing a deep purple octopus floating inches from his face.

He let out a startled yell and froze on the spot, blinking rapidly, hearing the octopus yell back frantically and flail its tentacles before dashing to hide behind a nearby rock.

"What's possessed you?!" The octopus cried angrily, peeking out from behind the rock, and Kaiba just stared. "Don't scream! There's been too much screaming this millennium. Too much."

 _Okay, well…scram_ , Kaiba thought furiously, counting his own heartbeats, which had sped up slightly from his fright. _You're interrupting my Me-Time._

"I come bearing a message…Warrior," the octopus said headily, pointing a tentacle at him. "You think you're so high and mighty, speaking only with your mind and not bothering to open your mouth—"

 _What's the message?!_ Kaiba interrupted, his interest rising in a burning crescendo. _Is it from Atem?_

" _King_ Atem has nothing to do with this," the octopus corrected haughtily, inching out further from behind the rock. "This is regarding the scream we heard several sunlit days ago. Do you know the merperson who uttered it? And if so, are they in danger?"

Kaiba blinked rapidly, letting out a slow stream of air from his lips.  
Oh…shit. That had been heard?!

"So you _do_ know!" The octopus cried, zooming towards his face with alarming speed, and it bobbed lightly in front of his nose. "Tell the name. Speak! Is it a warrior friend of yours? Are they dead? Is it too late?"

Kaiba ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, his mind spinning quickly with ideas on how to exploit this situation for his own gain.

"Yeah, I know who it is," Kaiba said slowly, giving the octopus a grin. "Bring me some slugmutt, and I'll tell you."

There was a silence as the octopus darted up and down, looking beside itself, "What is this?! Extortion? A bribe? Blackmail?"

"An exchange of services, nothing else," Kaiba said with a sly smile, feeling a rush of vicious happiness at his new ability to speak underwater. "Get me a fuckton of that slug shit, and you get to go home bearing great news, and a message for the king, how about that?"

"I-I'm not a royal messenger," the octopus squeaked, curling and uncurling its tentacles in distress. "How will I ever make it past the front gates?"

"Say, 'I have a message from Seto Kaiba for King Atem. It'll get you in anywhere," Kaiba said confidently, now worried the octopus was going to be fished up or eaten by the errant fisherman on its way back down.

"I am a Top Tier Messenger!" the octopus said proudly, hearing Kaiba's thoughts. "I will _not_ be eaten. My speed is unrivaled. My delivery is sharp. My accuracy is—"

"You talk too much," Kaiba interrupted gleefully, holding his hand out and curling his fingers into his palm. "Slag, now. Before sundown."

The octopus hovered apprehensively in front of his face before it swam off quickly without another word.

Feeling slightly hopeful, Kaiba leaned back against the rock and gazed up at the sunlight filtering in beautifully from the water's surface. Being submerged for three hours a day really helped with his evening nausea.

Even if the octopus didn't return, he now knew that he could catch any one and have them deliver messages. They were oddly eloquent.  
Perhaps he could catch one and keep it as a pet, releasing it once in a while to deliver messages to Atem.

Closing his eyes once more, Kaiba tried to relax and enjoy the rest of his time alone.

 _Merman!_

Growling, Kaiba opened his eyes and saw the purple octopus hovering inches from his face once more, holding a dark brown slug in each of its eight tentacles.

"Your slugmutt, as you requested," the octopus muttered, bobbing awkwardly in the water. "Now, tell me the information!"

Excited, Kaiba stripped off his shirt and held it out tentatively. The octopus seemed to understand immediately and dropped all the slugs into Kaiba's shirt, shaking out its tentacles with disgust as one of the slugs clung on too tightly, refusing to let go.

Kaiba hastily plucked it from the octopus and tied his shirt into a bundle, effectively trapping the slugs inside, and he held it up for a closer look. His suspicions had been right! It was a type of slug.

"Now keep your word!" The octopus said, darting rapidly back and forth in the water with distress. "Who uttered the scream, and are they dead?"

"I did," Kaiba said plainly, giving his shirt a poke and seeing the slugs writhe around the cloth. "It was an accident. Didn't mean to. Didn't know anyone would hear it."

"That scream was taken seriously by all of us!" The octopus said angrily, beginning to change color. "It felt like deep sorrow and pain. Are you hurt?"

"Lead me to a Chrysalis," Kaiba said instantly, pressing on with more of his demands. "I've 'lost my way' or whatever."

"I don't know anything about the Pools," the octopus replied heatedly. "And it's no business of mine if you've lost your way, Warrior."

"Fine, fine," Kaiba said hastily, beginning to feel a bit lightheaded and nauseous. "Tell Atem I'm still waiting for him to show his face. Tell him…"  
There were so many things to say, how could he express it all at once with just a few words?

The octopus held up a tentacle and grew very still, "Speak clearly, merman. I will take your voice and tone into account."

Kaiba blinked rapidly and nodded, composing himself enough to say, "tell him I love him, and I'm still waiting."

The octopus bobbed gently in the water as another oncoming wave washed into shore. "Noted. I'll be on my way now." It jetted off through the water at a surprising speed, and Kaiba sat very still, stunned at the sudden departure.

"Wait! Will you come back?!" Kaiba shouted, feeling his lungs ache. Shit. Shit. He needed to surface.

He kicked off the rock and popped his head up, coughing and spluttering, seeing Isono standing on the beach waiting for him with a towel draped over his arm.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba threw the slug-filled shirt over his shoulder and slowly walked out of the water, briefly allowing himself to enjoy the feeling of wet sand between his toes.

He brushed past Isono without a word, hearing the old man send him a series of rapid questions.

 _You were in there for two hours and thirty minutes! That's too long! What's in the shirt? Is it alive? They're moving!_

"Please shut up," Kaiba growled, and he trudged up the boardwalk, back onto his property.

Time to run all kinds of tests on these slugs and learn how to better survive underwater for longer periods of time.

* * *

"Warriors, as you know, there was a pained scream three sunsets ago," Mahad said seriously, swimming up and down the row of newly recruited soldiers. "We will be splitting up into groups, and only two people will exit the Chrysalis at a time to avoid suspicion."

Tristan fidgeted nervously, and Joey gripped his spear so tightly, his fingers burned.

"The other neighboring colonies won the draft," Mahad continued, "which is why we are being Deployed last. A team of Stealthsmen will escort you and a partner to the destination. From there, you are on your own."

There was a deep murmur in the line-up, and Joey felt himself sweat.

He had done record-time swimming by dashing to his hidey-hole to store Atem's jars before dashing back for roll call, and had barely made it in the nick of time.

"We will go in order of rank, so all the newly indoctrinated Warriors are surfacing last," Mahad said with finality, looking Joey right in the eye. "Good luck, and enjoy your time onshore, my brothers."

Joey swallowed thickly and shut his eyes, saying a quick prayer for himself, and for Atem. His friend was probably going to miss him a lot while he was away.

* * *

Atem was sulking in his room when he heard a high-pitched voice shouting his name from beyond his closed door.

 _King Atem! Your majesty, the king, Atem!_

It sounded like a messenger.

Rousing himself slowly, Atem floated to the door and pulled it back an inch, glaring at the tiny purple octopus floating too close to his face.

"What do you want?" Atem sighed, pulling the door back further and wondering if this was a message from Joey, or the Keeper, reminding him that another year had passed on shore. Years were always passing by too quickly on shore….

"I have a message from Seto Kaiba for King Atem," the octopus squeaked happily, curling and uncurling its tentacles excitedly. "May I begin?"

Atem blinked and felt time stand still. His heart swelled with joy, and he grabbed the octopus by the head to drag it into his room.

Slamming the door behind himself, he gave the creature a vicious shake. "Tell me what he said! How did he find you?!"

"Let go! Let go! So violent!" the octopus panted angrily, darting away from Atem's claws and swimming directly upwards to the ceiling, eager to be as far away from the king as possible. "I'm being treated badly even though I'm a Top Tier Messenger—"

"I'll promote you," Atem said automatically, breathless with excitement. "Tell me what he said."

"He also screamed at me," the octopus said heatedily, sounding very disgruntled. "To answer your first question, my king, _I_ found _him_. He was meditating and cursed at me when I told him I had a message to deliver."

Atem nodded, unable to stop himself from smiling, "Sounds like him."

"Ahem," the octopus did a strange dance in the water before continuing to speak. "He said, 'get me a ton of that slag shit and I will tell you who screamed', and so I did—"

"What shit?" Atem interrupted, frowning in confusion. "Slag? What is that?"

"Slugmutt is a tool the warriors use to breathe on land," the octopus said plainly. "He made me do his dirty work for information. I brought him the slugs, and he said, _'I did it. It was me._ '"

"Did what?!" Atem asked, his confusion rising higher by the second. "You're a horrible messenger. Who do you report to?"

"The scream!" the octopus cried, distressed. "Seto Kaiba was the merman who let out the scream."

Atem sank slowly down onto his bed, his heart thudding loudly in his ears while his body burned with a strange fire.

"He also said to give you this message," the octopus said importantly, oblivious to Atem's shock. "' _Tell him that I'm still waiting for him to show his face…tell him, tell him that I love him."_

The room spun violently as his vision blurred, and Atem nodded, breathing shallowly as his chest began to hurt.

Kaiba had managed to hijack a Messenger and get it to deliver his message while also making it fetch a tool that allowed him to breathe on land. If he didn't know any better, it sure _sounded_ as if Kaiba _was_ a merman!

"He _is_ a merman," the octopus said plainly, doing a happy spin in the water. "Looks Pure, talks badly like one, acts like one, and I couldn't refuse his request. I was rewarded for it! Am I being rewarded?"

"Yes…yes," Atem breathed, gazing at the octopus with newfound appreciation. "Send a message back. I'll give you my seal. You are my personal messenger now, do you understand? Who did you report back to?"

"Warrior Mahad," the octopus answered instantly. "I need to deliver the original message to him—"

"No need, because I can tell him," Atem said cleverly. "You've been promoted, now your job is to return, find Seto Kaiba, and give him my message."

The octopus did another twirl in the air, sounding very happy, "Yes, my king, yes! I'm listening now."

"Very well," Atem said seriously, his confidence faltering slightly when he wondered what he could say that encompassed his feelings entirely. There was so much to say…it was impossible to condense into a few short words.

"Tell him… that I love him too," Atem said shakily, biting back tears that seemed to come out of nowhere. "Everyone seems to think you are an Undercover Warrior, and if you are, damn you for lying to me. That is all."

The octopus grew very still for a moment before springing back to life again and zoomed towards the closed door, "I'll be on my way now. Please let me out."

Sighing heavily, Atem rose from the bed to open the door, letting the octopus swim quickly down the hall and disappear around the corner.

Throwing himself back down onto the bed, Atem threw an arm across his eyes, willing himself to stay composed. Did it matter if Kaiba was human or a merman? All that mattered was that they weren't together.  
If Kaiba was on an Assignment, how long would he stay onshore?  
Undercover Warriors were notorious for prolonged shore assignments.  
Mana was correct.

Holding a relationship with someone in a high-profile job was extremely challenging.

Rolling over onto his stomach, Atem buried his face into his pillow and closed his eyes, willing for sleep to come. Perhaps he could sleep off the sadness.

* * *

Kaiba stared at the slugs in the five jars, ignoring the squeaking from the rats and guinea pigs in the corner.

He tapped each of the vials, re-reading the labels, and making absolutely sure that each was correct because he would essentially be killing a rat or guinea pig if they couldn't breathe after being submerged underwater for ten minutes.

Slug 1: secretions

Slug 2: branchial plume / gills / eyes / the spiky shit on top (?)

Slug 3: intestine only

Slug 4: tail only

Slug 5: entirely liquified

If these five did not work, he still had three others that were still alive and intact, living happily in a tank on his desk.

Taking a deep breath, Kaiba braced himself for what he was about to do.

He stuck a syringe in each of the vials and drew it into the barrel, approaching the group of guinea pigs he had also been injecting with liquified scales.

This test group was the most similar to himself.

All the others in the control group had died a while ago because guinea pigs only lived for about 4 years anyway. The rats and guinea pigs in group 2, the water bottle feeding group, had also died; all had suffered intestinal ruptures, which was extremely alarming.

His last hope were the six guinea pigs oinking anxiously at him in the last cage upon seeing a syringe in his hand.

Reaching inside the glass, he grabbed the closest one and held his breath, holding it over the large jar of water he had prepared earlier.

"Please, please don't put me in water, please!" the guinea pig cried, squirming helplessly in his grasp with wide, terrified eyes. "I'll be good! I won't hate the needle! I know you hate me!"

Kaiba sighed and held the animal up to his face, staring into its beady eyes with a grimace, "Thanks for all your help these past few years. I hope you survive this."

The guinea pig stopped squirming and gazed intently back at him.

Kaiba took this chance to drop the guinea pig in the large jar and watched it sink to the bottom while flailing all of its arms against the glass, screaming all the way down.

Its tiny claws patted at the glass, and Kaiba tapped on the jar, watching the guinea pig walk around in a tight circle at the bottom, squeaking happily, "I CAN BREATHE!"

Kaiba tapped his phone and set a timer.

He reached into the cage again and picked up another guinea pig, grabbing another jar and filling it up with saltwater from the tank he kept under the lab table. Ignoring the terrified squeaks, he dropped it into the jar and tapped the second timer on his phone.

He repeated this process for the three other guinea pigs, and he sat back on his stool, gazing at all the animals behaving normally inside the water-filled jars.

Ten minutes should do it. Starting off in small increments of time should be safe.

Closing his eyes, Kaiba took a deep breath and counted his own heartbeats.

He had a feeling the more he practiced doing it, the better he would become.

After mistiming some of his own dives, he had almost choked to death without the slugs. This experiment had better work because he was essentially risking the life of five, possibly immortal guinea pigs, with a spare one, which was running around in frantic circles, kicking up the wood chips at the bottom of the cage, crying for his friends.

After a moment, the timer beeped, and Kaiba silenced it hastily.

He said a small prayer before he reached into the first jar and picked up the syringe.

Test pig one, secretions injection.

Lifting the guinea pig out of jar, Kaiba waited until he could hear it speak through pitiful choking squeaks, and he hastily administered the syringe.

He set the animal gently down on the table and watched it continue to struggle for air.

Eyeing the timer nervously, Kaiba heard it beep, indicating the second pig needed to be taken out.

Shit. The first one was still choking.

He scooped it up and carefully set it back into the water, hearing it gasp with relief, "Can't breathe outside, but can I breathe in the water…! Ouch!"

Silencing the timer, Kaiba scooped out the second pig and quickly administered the contents after it also began to suffocate, and he dared to wait a full minute before he placed it back into the water-filled jar.

Secretions and branchial plumes were off the list.

Grabbing the third one and silencing the timer with his other hand, Kaiba lifted it out and set it down on the table, watching it squeal nervously and begin to behave oddly, clearly also suffocating.

He injected it with the third needle and observed no change in the guinea pig's behavior. Beginning to grow frustrated, Kaiba tossed the pig back into the jar, and scooped out the fourth one, feeling desperate.

Watching the guinea pig roll stiffly onto it's back and claw at the air after receiving the injection, Kaiba sighed and placed it back into the water.

Lifting the fifth guinea pig out of the water, Kaiba let it squirm and cry for help before he injected it with the last syringe, and he set it down on the lab table, watching it crawl across the surface, dripping wet and furious.

"That was horrible! Why did he do that? At least I didn't die…"

Kaiba blinked rapidly, unable to believe his eyes.

The guinea pig squeaked weakly and tried to hide behind the jar, still breathing heavily but somehow managing to speak, "Ha! You're all still stuck in there! I'm alive!"

Shaking with excitement, Kaiba dipped clean needles into the vial containing the entire slug, and he carefully injected each of the four pigs and let them all sit on the table, sopping wet and gasping for air.

They were all alive after being submerged for ten minutes!

The secret was to ingest the entire slug.

Now all he had to do was break down the chemical structure of the slug and streamline the "slugmutt eating" process.  
Maybe this was a great stride for merpeople.  
No more having to eat the disgusting, foul-tasting concoction.  
Everything could be administered like an Epi-pen.

Daring himself to feel happy, Kaiba stood up and let out a triumphant laugh, gazing down at all five wet guinea pigs, talking to them excitedly, "You can breathe? You're all alive?"

And he got very disgruntled responses.

 _"He just tried to kill us, and now has the nerve to ask if we are alive."_

 _"I feel sick. The water tasted bad."_

 _"I'm hungry and glad I'm alive."_

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kaiba sat down and let out another laugh. Damn, that was stressful.

Suddenly, he heard the quick pattering of footsteps overhead, followed by the quiet whoosh of the elevator, and Mokuba appeared. His little brother dashed towards him and bent over his knees, trying to catch his breath, looking furious.

"What… _what the fuck_ are you doing, Seto?" Mokuba panted, staring fearfully at the wet guinea pigs sitting very still on the lab table. "I can see you in the video feeds, you know. Are you… _drowning them_?!"

"You're spying on me now?" Kaiba demanded, but Mokuba ignored him, moving to pick up the cage containing the last guinea pig and backing out of the lab towards the exit, shaking his head.

"You're sick, Seto," Mokuba insisted, looking close to tears. "I saw you drown them, one by one, and then inject them with something. Whatever you're doing, it's animal cruelty. I'm saving this one."

"But they're alive! Look!" Kaiba said furiously, pointing at the five wet pigs gazing at him accusingly from the lab table. "Give that one back. Look, they're all fine—"

"YOU'RE CRUEL!" Mokuba shouted, and he bolted into the elevator, still hugging the glass cage to his chest. "I HATE YOU!"

Kaiba sat very still, listening to Mokuba's muffled sobs as the elevator ascended back into the house, and he thunked his forehead tiredly down on the table, feeling a guinea pig attempt to climb his arm.

"Everyone hates me, and I don't know what I'm doing," Kaiba said dully, feeling tears welling up annoyingly behind his eyes. "Do _you_ hate me?" he asked the nearest guinea pig who he could feel was still attempting to climb him, and he sat up slowly, horrified to see that tugging he had felt was the pig struggling.

It had keeled over and died.

The other four also looked lifeless, and the fifth pig was oinking in distress, sniffing each of his friend's bodies and glaring accusingly at Kaiba.

"YOU KILLED THEM! I AGREE WITH THE OTHER MAN. I HATE YOU TOO!"

"Ah…shit," Kaiba cried, gently tapping each of the four and feeling them already growing alarmingly cold.

Shit shit shit shit shit….

The elevator doors whooshed open softly again, and this time, Isono stepped into the room, looking grim. Behind him was a woman wearing a white coat, carrying a clipboard in one hand and a briefcase in the other.

A doctor.

"Master Kaiba, a guest…for you," Isono said, his thoughts saying something completely different.

 _I saw you drowning your pets which you have lovingly kept alive for the past ten years! You are ILL, Master Kaiba! Please talk to this doctor about your issues and STOP KILLING ANIMALS!_

"I'm not killing animals," Kaiba said through numb lips, fully aware of how bad he currently looked, saying that while sitting in front of four guinea pig corpses, still wet from the jars of water.

Fuck.  
Was Mokuba or Isono planning on admitting him into an institution?! First the drug accusations and now this?! Why couldn't he be left alone?!

"Mr. Kaiba…an honor," the doctor said, bowing deeply, her dark hair falling like a curtain over her pale cheeks. "You have a beautiful home. I especially love the way you planted the…"

 _Wow…he really is sick. Look at this place. It looks like a madman's lair. There's even a horrible smell…. And clearly, he was in the middle of drowning the guinea pigs.  
I guess I made it in time. One out of five are alive…. not great odds._

"I'm not sick, go away," Kaiba said evenly, and to his rising suspicion, he saw two of his own burly bodyguards step out of the elevator, accompanied by Mokuba.

"Go with the doctor to her office," Mokuba said, his voice shaking with emotion. "You either go willingly, or Burly and Surly will go with you."

 _I freaking swear I will MAKE Seto better. I don't care if he doesn't want to be better. I know that he'll thank me for it later._

Kaiba rose to his feet slowly, ready to fight his own men. "Is her ' _office_ ' a hospital with ten-foot walls and surrounded by an electric fence? An office where people are force-fed medication because that's how they're being _'helped'_?"

"No, no it isn't," she answered mildly, somehow managing a smile. "My office is just on the outskirts of Domino. Rent in the city is so expensive. Please come willingly."

 _H-Holy shit, he looks scary like this. Will I be okay? I'll alert my front desk security in case he gets violent with me…though I've never had a patient lash out at me before…._

 _Master Kaiba, please. Please! You've lost your way in life. You're a thirty-five-year-old man with no wife, no children, no family aside from myself and Mokuba, who are clearly trying to help you. Please go with her._

Kaiba narrowed his eyes and gave Isono an apprehensive look before relaxing visibly and nodding. Fine. This was another thing he had to do…for appearances. If talking to this doctor would get Mokuba off his back, he'd do it.

"Good! Let's ride in separate cars. See you there!" The doctor said, hastily making her exit, and Kaiba watched her leave, glaring at Mokuba, who glared right back at him.

"If you have a problem with me, kid, just tell me," Kaiba growled, taking a step closer to his brother, startled to discover that they were the same height. "Don't send strangers in after me thinking they'll make me 'better'."

"I don't have anything to say to you," Mokuba replied coldly, folding his arms across his chest and pointing at the elevator. "There's a driver waiting in a car outside. He'll drive you back after your session is over."

Kaiba let his breath out in a slow hiss and stalked into the elevator, smashing the button with his fist and giving Mokuba a middle-fingered salute.

His younger brother was basically babysitting him.

It was fine. Whatever.  
He had learned what he had needed to learn.  
As long as he could still access the ocean to harvest more of the slugs, everything would be fine.

* * *

 **author's note:**

Atem and Mana deal with the aftermath of Kaiba's scream. Kaiba hunts for slugs.  
Mokuba forcefully admits his big bro into therapy after seeing him "drown" his pets.

edited by: taedae

 **ABOUT NEXT WEEK'S UPDATE**

Next week, I'm going for my yearly visit overseas, and I wont be bringing my laptop with me on this trip, so that means there will be **no chapter updates (on wed NOV 6th and wed NOV 13th) until i get back.**

This Wednesday OCT 30th will be the last update until **NOV 20th** , so please wish me a speedy return from my travel so i can come back to post on time heheheh~

Happy reading! And as always, thank you so much for your reading support! I'm also planning on releasing a Christmas hole-y night smut special, so please look forward to that! ****

NGL gonna appreciate this break because i've been updating so consistently for the entire year!

Thank you!

BIG big biiig hugs,

Ugli


	28. Chapter 28

Kaiba stared intently at the doctor, hating her with all his might.

This was their nth session held in complete silence.  
He had refused to talk.  
Because there was no point in talking.

Opting to listen to her thoughts, Kaiba discovered that they were usually very mundane, ranging from fear that he was going to get violent, to how hungry she was and what she wanted to eat.

Today, her thoughts were slightly different.

She sat with her legs tightly crossed, pen in hand, and a clipboard on her lap, looking very thoughtful.

 _That was a bad fight. This might make us break up…but at least this session is easy. As long as Seto Kaiba stays stubbornly silent, I get paid! Oh, I can't wait to buy those shoes I saw yesterday!_

Kaiba crossed his arms and dipped his head down, pretending to take a nap, and he heard her thoughts increase significantly.

 _Oh wow! A first. He's going to try to sleep through these sessions. See, I'd be offended, but somehow, I'm not. Men are so prideful. We can do this back and forth forever until we die, Mr. Kaiba! I'm one of the top doctors for a reason!_

Sighing audibly, Kaiba opened his eyes and made direct eye contact with her.

She immediately took this opportunity to address him, "Can we talk about what happened when we first met? The…incident in the lab?"

Kaiba gave her an appraising look before finally deciding to speak, "I was doing tests."

Her eyes widened, and she looked stunned.

 _OH! HE TALKED! He can talk after all! Oh my GOD, PROGRESS!_

"May I ask what the tests are for?" She asked tentatively, her pen poised over paper, and Kaiba figured he would have some fun after all. He was trapped here until Mokuba decided he was "better", so might as well scare the shit out this doctor.

 _Top secret_ , Kaiba said, sending the thought to her directly and hearing her gasp.

She paled visibly, but her voice didn't waver, "So, you…are testing something. An innovative…tool, perhaps?"

 _Nausea medicine_ , Kaiba said stiffly, and she stared intently at him, her hand shaking over her clipboard.

"How are you doing that?" she demanded, glancing around the room with narrowed eyes. "Did you somehow put a transmitter in my office?"

 _Crap! Time to call the front desk…but the button is under my desk…crap…._

"Crap," Kaiba said monotonously, watching her face for a reaction. "Time to call the front desk, but the button is under my desk."

She bit her lower lip furiously and jumped to her feet, opening the door and pointing out into hallway with a trembling finger, she whispered, "Session is over. Leave."

 _Gladly_. Kaiba smirked, and he rose out of his chair to leave, congratulating himself.

Chuckling to himself, he stepped into the elevator and gave her a playful wave, seeing her standing at the door of her office, pale as a sheet with her feet planted apart.

If only he had done this sooner, these sessions would've been less of a pain.

Time to take a leisurely drive to the beach and meditate underwater.

* * *

Atem sat in the courtyard with Mana, watching her braid Serenity's hair, and he sighed before gazing upwards, wondering how Joey was faring.

"He sent me a message," Serenity said quietly. "It arrived yesterday by a red octopus. It told me that he's entering a Chrysalis and will be Deployed on land as soon as tomorrow."

Atem nodded and frowned, trying not to feel too worried.

He watched Mana expertly weave a strand of gems into Serenity's brown hair and he sighed, wondering what Kaiba was doing right this second.

* * *

Kaiba was bored.

He lightly fingered the syringe in his pocket, only half-listening to Mokuba talking.

"I really want to propose to her sometime before the year ends. Should it be a surprise? Or should I just do it in private? Does she want something extravagant?"

"I don't know," Kaiba answered carelessly, watching a few other people stride along the water, wearing brightly colored swimsuits. "You know her best—hey, why did you suggest this place? We have so many private beaches, why here?"

"Stop trying to drown yourself and listen to me for two seconds," Mokuba shot back angrily. "I'm saying I don't know! She says things like ' _anything is fine, you don't need to try too hard'_ but I don't know if she means it, or if she's just saying it to be nice. I can't tell what she's thinking."

Kaiba frowned, eyeing Mokuba's girlfriend standing by the edge of the water, taking photos of the scenery.

"So?" Kaiba said, leaning back against his lounge chair and closing his eyes. "You know her best."

"I'm asking you for a favor, don't you get it?" Mokuba growled, giving his brother an exasperated look. "Can you find out for me?"

Kaiba stared at his brother, feeling a laugh climbing up his chest.

" _Now_ you want my help?" Kaiba asked incredulously, and he caught a playful punch on his shoulder. "Fine. I'll talk to her." And he leaned back again with a sigh.

Mokuba stared expectantly at his older brother, grinding his teeth impatiently.

"Now, Seto. Please? Can you talk to her right now?"

Kaiba threw Mokuba an exasperated look, but obliged. Rising out of his chair, he approached the beach, seeing her turn around and smile brightly at him.

He raised his hand in a half-hearted wave, feeling oddly put on the spot, but he stepped over an oncoming wave to stand beside her, nodding at her politely.

 _Ah…!_ She thought frantically. _He's standing next to me…oh…help… Mokuba-kun…hurry, please come save me._

"I know you hate me," Kaiba said bluntly, his voice barely audible over the waves, and he heard her gasp fearfully and shake her head.

"No, no, not at all," she mumbled, bobbing awkwardly into several polite bows. "We don't know each other, that's all."

 _EEK! Mokuba was right about his weird telepathy! Quick, think about nothing…nothing…._

"Yeah, and I don't know if we _should_ know each other," Kaiba said plainly, kneeling in the water and seeing a few shells being washed ashore, half-buried under the sand. He dug one out and turned it over in his hand, pleased to see that it was undamaged.

 _Ah! WOW! He found a whole shell! That was so cool! What the heckkkkkk….. Was it there the whole time?!_

"Do you like pearls?" Kaiba asked awkwardly, standing up and beginning to clean the shell in his hands. "Finding one in an oyster can be a nice surprise, right?"

Her smile wavered, and she nodded, "Ah…y-yeah! Hahaha…"

 _UH…?! So he's trying to have a conversation with me? Okay, yes…pearls are cute._

"Pearls or diamonds?" Kaiba asked again, unable to find a way to hold a normal human conversation. "Or…neither?"

"Um…ah, dia…monds?" She wrinkled her brow in confusion. "I-I mean, don't get me wrong, but I heard the way they make pearls is a bit…"

 _Unethical. Doesn't it hurt the oyster when forcing it to grow a pearl? Ah, I don't know! I'm sounding so money-hungry now that I said diamond…but there's a horrible industry of diamonds too…HELP ME, MOKUBA! Oh god, can he hear me thinking to myself?_

Kaiba stared out across the water, incredibly bored.  
He didn't know how to steer the conversation towards a proposal…without directly asking her.

"I-Is that all you wanted to ask me, Mr. Kaiba?" she asked, sounding very formal. "I'm gonna go…sit over there!"

"Wait…" Kaiba said awkwardly, making brief eye contact with her and realizing her eyes were beautifully almond-shaped. "I'm going to spoil a surprise. Care to hear it?"

She stared at him for a long moment, blinking rapidly while she thought nervously to herself.

 _What?! Does he know something? What surprise? Oh god, I hate surprises._

"Then you'll appreciate me telling you," Kaiba said knowingly, also personally hating surprises. "Mokuba wants to propose to you."

She blinked again and nodded stiffly. "Not…a surprise, Mr. Kaiba. We've openly talked about it quite often."

"What a relief," Kaiba answered dryly, rolling his eyes. "He wants to know if you want an extravagant proposal or something private."

"I told him that anything is fine!" She cried, sweeping her hair out of her eyes as the wind blew a few strands across her face.

 _Oh god…he sent his telepathic brother over to read me! I knew he didn't believe me when I said it was fine! Can he hear this? Seto Kaiba you stupid ugly wierdo ugly stupid ugly stupid—_

 _Mmm thanks_ , Kaiba thought back viciously, hearing her squeak in surprise.

He glanced at her, seeing her with both hands pressed over her mouth, her eyes so wide, he could see all the whites around her pupils.

 _You know, it's fine if you do want something extravagant_ , Kaiba continued, finally getting a good look at her figure in a bikini. _There's no shame in wanting something for yourself. What's money for if you don't spend it?_

"I-I…" She slowly sank to her knees and sat down cross-legged in the sand, the tips of her ears bright red.

 _Actually, I'm offended,_ Kaiba continued, folding his arms across his chest and gazing down at her black swirl of hair. _Mokuba is always offering to pay for you, clearly trying to make your life more comfortable. Your refusals make you look bad. Would you refuse if he offered to give you the best medical care while you're sick? Or…dare I say, pregnant?_

 _No…_ She thought back quietly, and Kaiba saw her curl her fingers tightly in the sand beside her thighs, creating five lines where her fingers sank into it, leaving deep grooves.

 _Rules of this family are that you live proudly with the money we've earned,_ Kaiba said boldly, not really believing his own statement. _Don't marry him if you don't know how to spend money. You're clearly upsetting him because he doesn't understand how you think. But you know how he works. Just agree to spend the damn money. Isn't it easier that way?_

Kaiba waited for an answer and didn't receive one.  
He glanced down worriedly and saw her nodding repeatedly.

To his rising horror, he saw a lone tear curve down her pale cheek, and he took a worried step back, glancing over his shoulder at Mokuba, who looked furious, glaring at them from his lounge chair.

"Hey, stand up, before he kills me," Kaiba said hastily, glancing around and seeing people beginning to stare. _Ayame-san. Stand up, or he'll think I'm fighting with you or something_.

She rose to her feet obediently and dusted the sand off her legs, looking him right in the eye after managing to compose herself.

"Well then, I won't hold back!" She said, patting her bicep and making a flexing motion. "I'll buy an island and five cars. No, ten! I'll even buy a car for the dog."

"You have a dog?" Kaiba asked, alarmed at this new information. "Is it your dog, or did you and Mokuba adopt it together recently?"

She gave him a funny look and threw her head back, laughing heartily, "No! That was a joke! You reacted to the wrong thing!"

"That's the correct thing," Kaiba said, slightly annoyed. "Cars are fine, but a dog is an animal."

"Okay, okay, Kaiba-kun, I understand," she said, holding her hands up defensively. "I thought I would offend you and Mokuba by…"

She fell silent and decided to complete the sentence in her head.

 _By spending your money, because…well, it's not mine. And everyone knows you have a lot of it. It's hard to appear like I'm actually interested in Mokuba, and not just what he has…you know?_

 _We get it_ , Kaiba replied, managing a smile, and he heard Mokuba's furious thoughts invading the front of his mind.

 _YOU MADE HER CRY?! YOU'RE THE WORST!_

"Nobody cried," Kaiba said instantly, taking several more steps back to give Mokuba and his girlfriend more space.

"Seto, I asked you to do one thing," Mokuba started, rounding on his older brother while his girlfriend clung onto his arm, trying to hold him back. "And you made her cry!"

"Please don't fight! I didn't—I'm just not feeling well!" She insisted, her heels skidding across the sand as Mokuba advanced on Kaiba, and Kaiba turned his gaze out towards the ocean, trying to avoid angry eye-contact with his brother.

He had heard something coming from under the water, but he wasn't sure what.  
Also, people's phone cameras were appearing from their pockets, filming them.

"HEY! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Mokuba growled, grabbing his older brother by the collar with one hand while his other hand was being pulled back by his girlfriend. "Apologize to her!"

They were interrupted by a terrified scream, and people began to scatter on the beach.

Thankful for the interruption, Kaiba dodged Mokuba and glanced over everyone's heads, looking for the source of panic.

A blond-haired man was completely naked, doubled over on all fours, looking as if he was choking.

"A doctor! Call a doctor!" Someone cried.

"Where is the lifeguard? The booth is empty! He was here a moment ago!"

Kaiba slipped his hand into his pocket for his phone, but then saw something that almost made his heart stop in his chest.

The man vomited violently, and a greenish sludge splattered messily on the sand on top of his hands.

A…. surfacing…merman. Holy shit! What luck!  
Was he suffocating? When was he going to eat the slag? Did the greenish vomit happen before or after ingestion?

Interested, Kaiba took several steps towards him, feeling Mokuba tug on his arm. "No, Seto! Someone already called the doctor."

"He doesn't need a doctor," Kaiba heard himself say, and he approached the choking man as if his feet were possessed. He stood above the man, seeing his cheeks slowly turning red, and then purple while his brown eyes darted frantically back to the water.

His thoughts were crisp and clear.

 _H-Help! Fuck! I'm gonna die here! Shit! People are watching!  
I haven't even…I forgot to bring the stinky slug  
…I need to crawl back…can this guy fucking stop staring at me?! Useless human!_

"This useless human is going to help you," Kaiba whispered gleefully, bending forward and slipping his hand into his other pocket for the syringe he had prepared for himself. "I'm going to give you air. In return, you must tell me where the nearest Chrysalis is. It's here, isn't it?"

Joey grabbed his throat with both hands and shook his head frantically, turning back to look at the ocean again, wondering if he could still breathe underwater as a human. Fuck. Who was this guy?! Asking for access to a Chrysalis? Hell no!

"Hey, shake or nod your head," Kaiba said, holding the syringe in front of the blond man's face, giving it a teasing twirl between his thumb and index finger. "You can choose…death by suffocation or disclose the location of a Chrysalis. I've got a slug for you…right here…"

"Seto! Get away from him!" Mokuba's voice could be heard from afar, but Kaiba ignored him.

Glaring furiously, Joey swiped at the syringe, his vision fading in and out to green. Damn…Damn… He'd rather die than tell this stranger where a Chrysalis was.  
Good-bye Tristan…Duke…Atem…

"Ah...fuck," Kaiba muttered, and he stabbed the needle into Joey's thigh the second he heard Atem's name.

Kaiba stood smugly and watched the man take a deep gasping breath, coughing heavily while cursing in his mind.

 _FUCK THIS GUY! FUCK THIS FUCKER! WHO IS HE?! He had slugmutt all this time and fuckin' let me suffocate for two whole minutes! I couldda died!_

"You're welcome," Kaiba said coldly, instantly reminded of a wet dog from the way the man's blond hair matted across his forehead. "Now tell me—"

The man jumped to his feet after regaining some energy, and he sprinted back towards the ocean, clearly running away.

"Hey…HEY!" Kaiba shouted, running after the naked man, his fury rising to an all-time high. "Sure, don't even say 'thank you'! COME BACK HERE!"

To his dismay, the merman dove expertly into an oncoming wave and disappeared.

Kaiba dove in after him, intent on catching him, but since he had dived in second, another wave rushed at him, pushing him backwards. Hissing in annoyance, Kaiba fought the wave and swam forward strongly, seeing the man's pale feet disappearing into the depths beneath.

Shit. SHIT!

 _I said COME BACK HERE!_ Kaiba yelled in his mind, hearing nothing but silence in response, and he let out a frustrated groan.

He let another wave push him back onto shore, and dragged himself out of the water, trudging across the sand back to where Mokuba and his girlfriend stood, staring at him with dumbstruck looks on their faces.

As he strode across the beach, groups of people began applauding and congratulating him on saving the man.

Thoroughly pissed, he approached Mokuba, his wet clothes sagging heavily against his body while he managed to say through gritted teeth, "That guy was really fucking stupid."

"What was he allergic to?" Mokuba cried, pressing his hands to his face in shock. "You saved his life! You gave him some of your…vitamins?!"

"Yeah, you could say that," Kaiba growled, ignoring the people who were starting to crowd around him. "Going to dry off. See you back at the resort."

"You were so cool...!" The girlfriend called, waving at his retreating form. "Rest up and we'll have dinner together!"

Mokuba beamed at his girlfriend, giving her hand a warm squeeze. "It looked like he made you upset, but it seems you guys had a good talk?"

"Yes," she said with a firm smile. "He lectured me about not spending enough money. I know exactly how to deal with him now. I need to spend money in front of him."

"Oh…good," Mokuba said, gazing out over the ocean, feeling an odd pang in his chest. Didn't he witness Atem throwing up green stuff? Was Seto making medicine for Atem's race?

Brushing the thought out of his mind, Mokuba let his girlfriend pull him towards the lounge chairs happily while chatting about an engagement party.

* * *

On a nearby shore, Joey rolled onto the sand and gasped for air, his chest heaving mightily with effort.

Damn. Shit.  
First, he had gotten lost and mixed up the meeting spot, and second, he had made a life-threatening mistake by forgetting to find some slugmutt before rising to the surface.

"You're late!" Mahad called, popping his head up from the water and pointing at the shore where Tristan stood, already fully dressed and dry.

"I got—I got lost…" Joey gasped, hauling himself out of the water on all fours and coughing weakly. "Fuck."

"The first time is always the hardest," Mahad said sympathetically, "Take a few deep breaths, Warrior Jounouchi, and all will be well."

A towel and a bundle of neatly folded clothes appeared under Joey's nose, and he swiped them out of Tristan's hands, hastily getting dressed, feeling his ears burn with humiliation at his own mistake.

"I got the money, so I'm the treasurer," Tristan declared loudly, and he glanced at Joey, waiting for him to protest, but to his surprise, his friend remained silent.

"Good. Now…" Mahad pointed at the road behind their heads. "Next challenge: rent a car or buy a train ticket and attend the university as students or find yourselves some part-time jobs. Use the money to buy whatever you need, but it is not infinite. Budget wisely."

"But...how much is anything?" Tristan asked, curiously flipping through the banknotes and giving them a sniff. "Ogh, it stinks!"

"You're in a new land, figure it out," Mahad said vaguely, pushing off the shore and sticking his staff in the air as a salute. "Remember to follow your Code! Good luck and goodbye!"

"Thanks for the cash!" Tristan yelled, waving back enthusiastically and giving Joey a rough nudge. "Yo, what's the matter with you? Poison swelled up your tongue?"

Joey sat down heavily in the sand and held his head in his hands, slowly processing everything that had happened to him in the short amount of time he had had legs.

"I think…that was him," Joey said, his voice cracking from the dryness in his throat. "Seto fucking Kaiba. That was him! Holy fuck…. THAT WAS HIM!"

Brown hair, condescending blue eyes, pale skin, and handsome features.  
It had to be him.  
Atem had always described Kaiba right down to the curve of his jaw, and that man was definitely Seto Kaiba.

"What?" Tristan frowned, worried by the sudden outburst. "What are you talking about?"

"I got up on the wrong shore!" Joey cried, his voice muffled by his hands pressing against his face. "I forgot to catch a stinky slug, and nearly suffocated in front of a buncha people."

"Oh…damn," Tristan said, sitting down slowly beside his friend and giving him a quick up and down check. "You look and sound fine. Alive."

"Yeah, 'cuz that _bastard_ Seto Kaiba gave me a slug!" Joey yelled, lifting his head away from his hands, unable to contain his fury. "He somehow…stuck it in me. I didn't eat anything. H-Holy fuck…he saved my life. I owe him, Tristan. I fucking owe him now!"

"Someone stuck a slug…. inside you?" Tristan scratched his head, looking worried. "Are you hallucinating?"

"It was in a needle," Joey said vehemently, nodding. "Like the kind human doctors use. He somehow put slugmutt…in that. Scary, right? He's not a safe guy to be around.…holy shit."

"Okay…well, he's far away now," Tristan said, standing up and brushing the sand off his pants. "Let's go! I've always wanted to drive a car."

Joey nodded silently and rose to his feet, feeling slightly dizzy, but he ignored it. He had to remember to complete the Assignment Mahad had given him, but now he wasn't sure if he wanted to be anywhere near Seto Kaiba.

* * *

Kaiba sat across the counter at the jeweler in his stuffy little shop, watching the old man inspect the diamonds under a microscope.

The silence was stifling, and Kaiba gazed out the window, trying to hide his anxiety.

Isono had blatantly disobeyed him by neglecting to take the diamonds to a lab, so he had done it himself, and the lab had sent him back to the jeweler.  
It seemed everyone wanted to run him around in circles.

"Hmm…" the jeweler said for the millionth time, and he continued to inspect the diamond.

"What is it?" Kaiba asked impatiently. "Are they real?"

"Oh, they're real," the man mumbled, his brow shining with a slight sheen of sweat. "What's interesting is the shape. These appear to have formed this way, and not cut. How strange…how strange…"

"Yeah, well, how much?" Kaiba asked carelessly, beginning to grow irritated, feeling as if he had to wait forever for the old man's verdict. "And how long will it take for you to make several rings?"

"For you Master Kaiba…" the old man drawled, finally lifting his face away from the microscope and making eye contact for the first time. "One to two weeks with all of my effort and attention. I will do my best work for you."

"Good," Kaiba said shortly, pushing away from the counter to stand and eyeing the door. "See you in a week."

"Ah, but…this one in particular," the old man held up a tear-drop shaped diamond, and his brown eyes gleamed with interest. "May I buy this from you?"

 _This one is extremely unique! I doubt he even cares…._

"No," Kaiba glared reproachfully at him. "Follow the templates for the designs in the email I sent you and send photos of your progress."

The old man nodded, bowing deeply and mumbling, "Thank you for coming in…"

Kaiba swept out of the shop without another word and stepped out into the rain.  
Damn, he had forgotten an umbrella.

Sighing, he marched through the rain back to his car, his mind filled with thoughts of taking a dive in the ocean water while it was raining.

* * *

Joey strode rapidly through the school campus, nervously adjusting the straps on his bag as he went. He had overheard a conversation held by a couple of girls sitting at a nearby coffee table, talking about a certain Mokuba Kaiba on their campus, and that had sent him into an investigative frenzy.

After attempting to sweet-talk the head office to give him a glance at personal records, he was politely asked to leave.

Sighing to himself, Joey found a seat on a nearby bench underneath a flowery tree and slipped his phone out of his pocket, hastily searching Mokuba Kaiba in the browser, kicking himself mentally for not doing this first.

The results were plentiful, with many of them saying the same thing: that Mokuba Kaiba still attended K University and was due to graduate before the end of the year.

Sighing again, Joey hung his head, gripping his hair in frustration.

Mahad had not disclosed how difficult it would be to get into contact with any Kaiba. It seemed these two humans were elusive and extremely private, but their information was somehow widely available to the public.

Humans were so contradicting.

Memorizing the most recent photo he could find of Mokuba Kaiba, Joey folded his arms across his chest, deciding he would find Mokuba at any cost.

He was in the right place.  
All he had to do was wait a little longer and be more vigilant.

* * *

Mokuba suppressed a yawn and closed his textbook slowly, deciding to head home.

The library was almost empty, and the librarian was making his last rounds on the top floor, waking up any snoozing students while wheeling the book cart noisily across the carpeted floors.

His phone buzzed, and notification popped up on his computer screen simultaneously.

Glancing at his laptop, Mokuba rolled his eyes in fury when he saw it was from the user "JW" again.

This student had been messaging him non-stop through the student portal since the beginning of the year. It had stopped being annoying and was becoming creepy.

 **JW:** hey! Let's hang out!

"No, I don't fucking know you. Stop it," Mokuba hissed, wishing there was a way to block fellow students. "Leave…me…alone…." he said through gritted teeth while typing, then he hit send.

The response was lightening quick.

 **JW:** aw c'mon please? I gotta tell your brother something. Pls pls pls pls pls

 **JW:** pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls

 **JW:** I don't have any friends on campus. heh.

Groaning, Mokuba leaned his head on his hand, tapping his pen absently against the side of his laptop.  
Who the fuck was this guy?  
And would he really shut up if they met up once?  
Or maybe it would be better to foist this guy onto Seto.  
Was he dangerous?

Poising his hands over the keyboard, Mokuba took a moment to think before he quickly replied.

 **MK:** fine. You wore me down. 08-2339-9909. DON'T call me. Text only.

On the other side of the screen, Joey let out a celebratory fist pump and a whoop, forgetting where he was in the moment, and he snatched his phone up triumphantly.

It had taken an agonizing 7 moons to get Mokuba to reply positively to anything, so this was an absolute victory. Mahad would be proud.

Mokuba heard a yell echo through the floor, and he winced, growing more and more disgruntled with every passing second.  
Yep, he was leaving.  
Studying at home would be way more comfortable.

Joey sent the first text after typing the number into his phone with shaking fingers.

"YO. It's me. Jou."

Mokuba lifted his phone up to his face and set his jaw, replying slowly.

"Ok. Nice to know you have a name. Now LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Joey pressed on stubbornly.

"I'm in the library rn. 8th floor. Where u at? I can come to u."

Mokuba froze, his heart pounding nervously as he wrote back, "Same. 8th floor. By the windows. Leaving soon."

Clicking his phone off, Mokuba scrambled to get his things together, eager to disappear before the mysterious and possibly malicious JW found him and accosted him alone.

Joey leapt out of his seat and made his way methodically through the towering bookshelves, aiming for the slanted windows hugging the other side of the room.

He spied a tall figure with long black hair hastily packing a bag, and he stood awkwardly from afar, waving.

He was ignored until the man swung the bag back over his shoulder and froze after seeing him standing there with his hand still raised in a half-wave.

Mokuba's breath hitched painfully in his chest when he vaguely recognized the guy. He had a familiar crop of messy blond hair, and soft, dark brown eyes.

"Hey, aren't you…?" Mokuba lost his voice mid-sentence when he remembered in a rush. This was the naked blond guy Seto saved on the beach that one time.

"Yeah, that's me!" Joey nodded vigorously, forgetting his training immediately and answering Mokuba's thought directly. "Nice ta' finally meet ya'! I'm Joey!" And he held his hand out enthusiastically for a shake.

Mokuba took several hesitant steps forward to grab the man's hand and shake it firmly, searching his face for any signs of hostility, but the smiles were all genuine.

"Let me guess, you want to thank Seto personally," Mokuba said dryly, not letting his guard down. Smiley people all had a motive.

"Ah…yep," Joey said awkwardly, hearing Mokuba's hostile thought and unsure of how to make himself seem less motivated to meet Seto Kaiba. "But honestly, I really need to talk to him. Can we do that?"

Mokuba took a step back and raked his gaze over Joey's strong build, taking in the well-worn army green jacket, the plain blue jeans and a pair of off-brand sneakers on his feet.  
His whole vibe screamed harmless. It should be fine to let this guy meet Seto, who was in desperate need of friends and basic social contact with other humans.

"Fine, we'll go over to my place now." Mokuba shrugged carelessly and walked briskly to the elevators, hearing Joey celebrate audibly behind him.

He stabbed the 'down' button and turned to face Joey once more, taking in his glowing smile.

"Don't freak him out with your weirdness. You can tell him we've been friends for a whole year," Mokuba said instantly, knowing Seto would be suspicious of any stranger walking into their home. "…And we are working on our master thesis together. Got it?"

"Got it, got it good." Joey made playful finger guns at Mokuba and grinned. "Thanks man. You're really helping me out."

Mokuba threw Joey an odd look over his shoulder before stepping into the elevator and feeling his anger melt away.

Maybe this guy would be good for Seto.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

dundundun joey surfaces and is on the hunt  
kaiba manages to streamline slug consumption. Making advancements for the mer-community one thing at a time  
wonder how atem is holding up? We'll see in the next chapter!

edited by:taedae

here's a **link to a post with pics from my recent travel to japan!**

(paste in you browser without the spaces and underscore;P)

( h_ttps:/ / ugli fish . tu m bl r dot com / post/189196188509/my-quick-stay-in-japan-ygo-spotting-post )

i have a lot of spare millennium item necklace toppers that are made from diecast metal! I went a little crazy buying them because i figured they'd make great gifts for xmas :P  
PM me if you'd like one!

Hugs,  
Ugli


	29. Chapter 29

Kaiba had just stepped out of the shower when he heard an unfamiliar voice echoing through the walls of the mansion, coming from downstairs.

He hastily threw a towel over his wet hair and rushed to get dressed, keeping his ears pricked.

"Wow! Nice digs!"

The stranger's voice, sounding very annoying.

"No one says that anymore." Mokuba's voice, sounding irritated. "Now wait here and don't touch anything. I'm going to check if he's upstairs."

"Let me go with you!"

Growling to himself, Kaiba hastily made himself presentable and glared at his own pale reflection. Mokuba was always bringing his friends around, but the place was big enough so that they could go entire days without seeing each other. Although this time, it sounded different.

Kaiba yanked his door open and strode hastily down the hall, intent on banishing the stranger from the house.

"Stop following me!" Mokuba hissed, feeling Joey shadow him up the stairs. "I said to stay in the—Seto!"

Mokuba froze, smiling nervously at his older brother, who was towering over him on the step above, wearing a cold smile.

"Who's your friend?" Kaiba asked aggressively, and a glimmer of hope sparked inside him when he recognized the blond man from the beach, many months ago. "Do we know each other?"

Joey gazed apprehensively up at Kaiba standing on the steps above them and mustered the nicest smile he could, trying to hide his anxiety, "What's up dude?"

He received a look of deep suspicion in response, and to his surprise, Kaiba turned and gestured for him to follow.

"Come up," Kaiba said simply, his heart thundering with excitement as his mind raced with questions. It seemed this man was actively looking for him. He was a merman for sure, and Kaiba made sure to keep his thoughts to himself.

He didn't know if this man was dangerous, even though he looked like a real dumbass on the outside.

Joey followed Kaiba down the long hallway, gawking at all the space around them and at all the rooms as they passed. Atem had been right when he said Seto Kaiba lived in his own kingdom on land.

Kaiba heard this thought, and his stomach churned with excitement. This man was sent here by Atem…because that thought had just confirmed it.

Stepping into his room, he made sure to let the merman walk in before him. Joey's eyes widened with wonder as he gazed up at the chandelier glittering high above them.

"That's…amazing," Joey said quietly, his eyes watering at the rainbow flecks of light glinting off the gems above his head. "Ya' chained some jewels together and…hung 'em…."

The door lock clicked, snapping him back to reality, and Joey blinked rapidly, understanding that his only exit had been blocked. A foolish mistake.

"S-So…nice place," Joey stammered nervously, thinking he would stall for time by talking.

Kaiba took an eager step towards him, his face oddly flushed, his blue eyes wide with manic excitement, _"Name and rank…now."_

Joey opened and closed his mouth in shock. He had been through many scenarios of how this would happen in his mind, but he didn't think that Kaiba would blatantly ask…while sounding extremely fluent in mer-speak as well.

"Uh…I-I don't understand," Joey lied poorly, backing away slowly and looking around the sparsely furnished room for a weapon or an exit. "I dunno what you're talkin' about, buddy."

"Name and fucking rank," Kaiba repeated impatiently, not realizing he hadn't spoken Japanese when he'd first opened his mouth. "And I think I saw something on you…right here." He tapped his chest where he vaguely remembering a tattoo on the man after having seen him naked on the beach.

"I'm a Cadet," Joey lied again, scanning Kaiba's tall form for any Marks, but Kaiba was clothed from head to toe.  
Even the shirt he wore covered his neck. How suspicious.

"Oh, so they let _cadets_ into a Chrysalis?" Kaiba asked, raising an eyebrow and sensing the lie. "Highly doubt it. Try again. Better tell the truth."

Joey frowned and mirrored Kaiba's stance, keeping his arms crossed and his feet planted apart as he tried to read his thoughts, but everything was eerily silent.

He suppressed a shiver, thinking Mahad was right.  
This Seto Kaiba was most likely a highly-trained Undercover Warrior.  
He sure talked like a Pure, arrogant, high-ranking, asshole.  
No one had silence in their brains unless they were extremely skilled at masking their thoughts.

Kaiba's spirits soared with triumph when he heard this, and he managed a genuine smile, gesturing for the merman to take a seat on the black leather couch in the middle of the room.

Joey hesitated before lowering himself down onto the plush leather, and he fell silent, feeling defeated. The situation was unpredictable right now, so the best he could do was observe and adapt.

He heard a cork being unstopped and a drink being poured.

Joey whipped his head around to see Kaiba making them two drinks, his pale hands wrapping around each glass as he picked them up from the bar counter and brought them over to the couch.

Holding his breath incredulously, Joey couldn't stop staring at Kaiba's pointed claws. They were _unmistakably_ claws.

"Ya' don't keep a nail file handy?" Joey challenged, going for aggression, but Kaiba seemed unfazed by this.

"Drink," Kaiba said amicably, sitting in the lounge chair across from the blond merman and examining his own hands with an air of indifference. "Who the fuck cares if my nails look like this?"

 _It's weird to humans_ , _that's basic Code,_ Joey grumbled privately to himself while eyeing the amber liquid in the crystal tumbler sitting on the stone coffee table before him.  
He knew what this liquid was.  
All the Warriors raved about this after coming back from Shore Duties.  
This was Liquor, a coveted drink. The best tasting varieties were very difficult to obtain because they cost a lot of money. He had only managed to try the cheap wine and beer that came in metal cans from the convenience store that Tristan worked at.

This Liquor came in a dark, rounded bottle, which meant it had to be expensive.

"How do I know you didn't poison that?" Joey asked heatedly, his fingers already inching for the glass. He could smell the bittersweet scent coming from it, and it was making his mouth water painfully.

"That'd be a waste," Kaiba scoffed gleefully. "Go ahead. You'll love it."

The plan was to get this merman talking, and what better than to get words flowing with alcohol.

Joey sniffed the dark liquor and took a shallow sip. It stung his lips and slid across his tongue smoothly before burning his throat on the way down with a fire spreading across his chest wonderfully.

"Yeah…it's good," Kaiba smirked, enjoying the merman's blissful expression. "Now, you'll repay me with information."

Joey nodded nervously and took another sip, and another…and another. The drink was so delicious, he couldn't stop tasting it. Every time he drank, his body would grow warm, and he'd feel floaty inside.  
This really was magnificent Liquor.

"Hey, pay attention," Kaiba snapped. "I'm talking to you. Name, rank, and who do you report to?"

Joey smiled nervously and set his empty glass down, deciding to tell the truth, but before he could speak, Kaiba rose from his seat to refill his drink. Amazed and slightly suspicious at the stellar service, Joey watched the CEO apprehensively, waiting until he sat back down before he spoke.

"My name is Joey, and I report to Mahad," Joey said tentatively, and to his utmost surprise, Kaiba threw his head back with a delirious laugh.

"HA!" Kaiba cried, almost spilling his drink as his hands shook with excitement. "That guy just can't leave me alone, can he? What the fuck does he want now?"

"We wanna know what your deal is!" Joey said angrily, beginning to despise Kaiba's arrogant behavior. "And it's not fair that you've seen my Mark. Show me yours!"

"No," Kaiba answered simply, setting down his drink and leaning back against his seat with his fingers laced around his knee. "Hey, tell Atem I said, 'hi', won't you? You owe me one for saving your ass—"

"Yeah, thanks for saving my life back there," Joey interrupted, "And I'm not your errand boy or messenger."

Kaiba gave Joey an appraising look as he smiled eagerly, his blue eyes wide with interest, "I'll help you complete your assignment. Would you like that?"

Joey fell silent and didn't bat an eye. Was Seto Kaiba trying to bribe him? Could he be trusted?

"Look," Kaiba sighed, setting his drink down and gazed intently into Joey's face, taking his uncertain thoughts into consideration. "I love Atem—"

"I love him too," Joey answered automatically, and Kaiba's blood boiled.

"No, you don't," Kaiba said nastily, misunderstanding the usage of 'love' in Joey's speech. "If you love him the way I do, then you would tell me where I can find a Chrysalis."

Joey blinked incredulously. "You don't know where the nearest Moon Pool is?"

"Yeah, I don't," Kaiba said plainly, folding his arms with a glare. "I've lost my way."

Joey's breath hitched painfully in his chest, and his heart pounded rapidly. Kaiba had lost his way?

"Then…how are you still alive?" Joey asked gruffly, tightening his grip around the glass and giving it a nervous squeeze. "If you've lost your way, why hasn't your Commander…killed you?"

"Maybe I got to him…. or her, first," Kaiba said with a small smirk, noticing how Joey's fingertips whitened around the glass. This guy was gullible!  
Was he really one of Atem's men?  
Why would Mahad send a guy like this here?

"Then you've committed Treason and I'm leaving," Joey said frantically, jumping to his feet so quickly, the alcohol splashed out of the glass and onto his pants.

Kaiba blinked rapidly, watching Joey make a hasty exit, attempting to pry the locked door open with both hands, his forehead beaded with sweat.

"You don't get to leave until I say so," Kaiba said coldly, slipping his hand into his pocket for his phone, making sure the digital lock was still active. "Sit down…Warrior, or whatever your name is."

Growing increasingly more panicked, Joey's eyes darted around the room for another exit. A tall window behind a steel desk, but the drop downward looked too far.

There was another door leading to somewhere, and Joey darted inside without a second thought. He tripped down a small flight of steps before he managed to scramble back up and slam the door shut while panting anxiously.

His breaths echoed thinly in the spacious room, and Joey gaped at the luxurious marble walls and the shiny tiled floors. This was…a bathroom, but it was the biggest most lavish bathroom he'd ever seen.

Black marble steps led upwards into an inlaid tub in the far back, and the glass ceiling curved upwards like an enormous protective bubble above his head.

The shower was boxed off with more textured panes of glass, and everything sparkled when the sun shone down from above.

Mid-gape, Joey winced when a loud banging erupted from the other side of the door.

"Open up!" Kaiba demanded furiously, not wanting to break his own bathroom door down to get in. "There's no way out from there unless you can jump up through the ceiling. Come out, and we'll talk."

"No! Nope!" Joey cried, seeing his own startled reflection in the long silver mirror above a stone sink. "I got nothin' to say to you."

"Fine, then you'll listen to me talk," Kaiba fumed, giving the door handle another angry rattle. "I don't want to hurt you. I saved your fucking life, didn't I?"

There was no answer.

"I want to see him because he can't come up to see me," Kaiba said plainly, aiming to ask for a Chrysalis location again. "I know about his so-called punishment, and I admit it's my fault. I can't wait a whole century. I want to see him today."

More silence.

Kaiba waited for an answer, and when none came, lost his temper. "Come out, or I'll break the door down," he hissed, leaning against the door, listening intently.

On the other side, Joey was holding his breath, listening to Kaiba's heartbeats through the door. They were rapid, but even and steady. There was truth in his words….

 _Come the fuck out. I want to talk about Atem._

Joey jumped in surprise and clapped his hands over one of his ears, wincing. That was unnecessarily loud.

"I'll show you my Mark," Kaiba called, thinking this would his last attempt before he really did break the door. "I'll show it to you, but you'd have to come out to see it."

There was a soft rustle, and to Kaiba's relief, Joey peeked out from behind the door, his brown eyes wide with curiosity.

"Ya promise?" Joey asked gruffly, and Kaiba nodded stiffly, stepping back to let Joey emerge slowly from the bathroom. He backed away along the wall, aiming for the other door.

"It's locked," Kaiba said, exasperated, but the blond merman ignored him and chose to stand with his back against the door, looking like a trapped animal.

"Fine, another show of good faith. I unlock the door…and you stay," Kaiba said slowly, holding his hands up defensively. He needed this merman to be his friend, or at least like him a little bit. If he kept making enemies with all the mermen on land, he would never reach Atem.

The room had also grown incredibly quiet because Joey was now hiding his thoughts too.

"Fine," Joey sniffed, crossing his arms firmly and giving Kaiba a glare. "Do it then, rich boy."

"Don't fucking call me names," Kaiba muttered as he slipped his phone out and gave the screen a tap.

Joey heard the door lock click open, and he tensed, ready to run outside at the first sign of danger. He watched Kaiba put the phone away and rest his hands at the hem of his shirt.

"Yeah, take your shirt off," Joey challenged angrily. "Go on, do it. I'm waitin'."

Kaiba seemed to change his mind, and his pale hands went to the cloth around his neck. "This will do," the CEO said as he rolled down the fabric of his turtleneck and turned around slowly.

Joey narrowed his eyes before widening them again in shock when he saw the faint white outlines of a delicate lotus flower encircled by a crescent moon. His heart slowed into terrified pound his chest.

That was no ordinary Mark.  
That was a Brand.

"H-Holy Suijin's Staff," Joey breathed, blinking rapidly and taking a daring step closer for a better look. "Wait, lemme see all of it. That can't be."

Kaiba stood very still and didn't move, listening to Joey's footsteps grow steadily closer. He felt a slight tug as Joey gingerly lowered the collar of his turtleneck further to stare.

"Good enough?" Kaiba asked quietly, letting the fold of cloth return to its original position around his neck, and he turned to face Joey, who was wearing a dumbfounded look on his face.

"That's…a real Branded Mark…you're real, are you real?" Joey stammered, backing up nervously again and shaking his head fervently. "Holy shit. They said…that after the Eruption, you all died off on land, or were killed, but you…oh man, you're as old as me! Or younger! You must've been a baby when they sent you up here!"

"We're not all dead," Kaiba said, sinking comfortably into the lie. There was still the old man from the retirement home.

"Retirement home?" Joey echoed, hearing this thought, and his eyes widened knowingly. "So…only _two_ of ya are alive? Out of your entire pod of 200 people, it's you and him?!"

"Never mind. He's probably dead," Kaiba lied aggressively, allowing himself to feel a rush of triumph. "Chrysalis location, now."

"I can't…tell you that," Joey said weakly, his legs losing feeling the longer he stood rooted to the spot with shock and awe. "U-Unless you're dyin', but you look f-fine."

"I am dying. I'm drying out, and I'm vomiting every few weeks," Kaiba listed his symptoms with a lazy eye-roll. "And I need to see Atem."

Joey bent over and forced himself to take several deep breaths, feeling slightly dizzy. Mahad was right, and Seto Kaiba was an Undercover Warrior. Kaiba himself had just listed all the symptoms of shore sickness, which meant that his own Assignment had been completed.  
He had successfully discovered Kaiba's true identity and his pod name.

"I can't tell you the location of a Moon Pool," Joey said firmly, straightening up and managing to glance briefly into Kaiba's cold blue eyes. "I haven't broken my pact, but I'll report back to Mahad and see if we can help ya', okay?"

"Don't give me that bullshit," Kaiba raged, feeling as if the rug had been yanked out from under his feet. "That fool Mahad doesn't give a flying shit about me. Report back all you want, but don't think for a second that anyone will want to _'help'_. You've grounded your own king for a century. You're all fucked up."

"Hey!" Joey's temper flared just as quickly in retaliation. "Don't lump me in with the rich snobs who make all the decisions in the royal family! I'm not even from that Hemisphere."

"Well, you're not helping me, so I see you as part of the problem," Kaiba sneered, leaning heavily on the leverage and respect the tattoo seemed to give him. "Either help me in some way or get the fuck out."

Joey fell eerily silent, and he lowered his head to stare at the floor, his mind racing.

His instructions from Mahad were to find out if Kaiba was an Undercover Warrior by befriending him.  
The situation here was unfolding backwards.  
He had found out Kaiba was a warrior the moment he'd walked into the house and being friends with this foul-mouthed man seemed like a challenge.

"I'm going to say 'please'," Kaiba said dully, pressing a hand to his forehead as he felt a headache coming on strong. "Please fucking help me reach Atem. I'm tired of sending that damn purple octopus. I bet he got lost on the way back here because I haven't heard from him since—"

"You hijacked a Messenger? A Royal Messenger or a Standard one? How'd you get it past the front gates?" Joey asked incredulously, "You're turning into a criminal!"

"Or, I'm just really resourceful, and your rules are stupid and easily broken," Kaiba shot back furiously through clenched teeth. _"Help…me…find...a…damn…Chrysalis."_

"And…your Merspeak is better than mine, even though you've spent your whole life with legs," Joey fumed, curling his fists at his sides, understanding why Atem was so fascinated with Kaiba. "The only way I can help is by tellin' you that Mahad is the only Warrior who has broken his pact. So, like I said, I'll report back—"

"Tell me the pact, word for word," Kaiba said instantly, his energy returning in a rush, and he walked to his desk to pry his laptop open. "Speak while I write it down. Now."

Joey tilted his head curiously to the side, slightly intrigued that both Atem and Kaiba displayed the same demanding reaction upon hearing this.

"Uhh…"

" _'Uh'_ is a great word to start with. This must be a weak-ass contract," Kaiba said viciously, his fingers trembling with anticipation. " _'Uh'_ what?"

"I'm thinkin'!" Joey cried defensively, trying to compose himself long enough to figure out if it was a good idea to tell Kaiba anything at all. "I dunno if I can—"

"You want to help Atem get out of his century-long punishment?" Kaiba cut across Joey rudely with a determined glint in his eyes. "Then you'll help me, and I'll help him. And you might get promoted in the process. Sound fun? Now speak."

Joey glared mutely at Kaiba for a moment, quietly gathering his own thoughts.  
It should be fine.  
Kaiba was a Warrior who had lost his way.  
So it should be in his best interest to help Seto Kaiba return to the ocean.  
Maybe this was why Atem cared so much for Kaiba. The mer-king had probably seen Kaiba behaving like a crazed man and decided to help but had gotten himself in trouble instead.

Joey took a deep breath and began to recite, " _"I, Jounouchi Katsuya—"_

"Shitty name, but continue," Kaiba said carelessly, not bothering to ask for the correct spelling of Joey's name.

Joey balled his fist angrily at his sides and flushed red _,_ deciding to ignore the insult and continue.

 _"I...swear on my blood, that as a Warrior, I will protect the mer-population with my life. I will be an upstanding citizen, and I will use the Chrysalis only when necessary, while keeping the locations a secret to any being who seeks its powers. I will withstand any torture, threats, and blackmail, because as a Warrior, it is my duty to protect what is sacred to me as a merperson, and to the people I love."_

Kaiba stopped typing and went back to re-read the statement twice.  
Shit.  
He needed a mer-lawyer or something to get out of this one.

"There's one the guard says too, and it's different from mine," Joey said in a rush, trying to deter Kaiba from cracking the Chrysalis barriers. "You'll put us all in danger if you bypass this illegally. And not all the guards are merpeople, as you know."

"Well, if that fucker Mahad can do it, then so can I," Kaiba grit his teeth and felt his jaw ache. "Anything else?"

"Maybe…try another colony's Pool?" Joey offered unhelpfully. "Or hey, stay on land, because you've got all this…cool stuff!" He pointed energetically at the set of wide screen TVs, nodding happily.

"You've got four screens! Can me and Tristan have one?"

"Me…and Tristan," Kaiba repeated dully, eyeing Joey with disdain. "Your partner?"

"My Pod Mate, yeah," Joey replied, his eyes swiveling around Kaiba's room in search of more interesting treasures. "Hey, got some food? What do ya eat here? Same stuff as all the other humans? Or is like, _rich_ food?"

A bubble of laughter forced its way up his throat and Kaiba placed a hand over his mouth to cover his smile.  
He had been wrong to think that this guy was useless.  
Maybe Mahad was the idiot, sending this guy up here.  
He was learning so much every time Joey opened his mouth.

It was time to throw himself headfirst into a forced friendship with this dumbass and reach Atem in the process.

"Yeah," Kaiba said lightly, shutting his laptop carefully with a smile. "Tell me all your favorite foods, and I'll show you…the _rich_ versions."

He stood fluidly and walked over to the door, holding it open graciously for Joey, unable to contain his excitement, so he smiled again. "And you can have the TV. We'll bring it over to your place after we get some food."

"Yesssss," Joey pumped his fist triumphantly and dashed out the door, positively electrified.

Kaiba followed him slowly, seeing Mokuba walk out of his room at the end of the hall with a relieved grimace on his face.

"How'd it go?" Mokuba asked nonchalantly, directing this question towards Joey, who was bounding down the grand staircase four steps at a time.

"Good! Let's eat!" Joey called back, his voice echoing loudly through the whole house, and Kaiba paused mid-step in front of his brother, managing to give Mokuba a half-smile.

"So, you guys are friends now?" Mokuba asked knowingly, folding his arms across his chest and eyeing his older brother carefully. "Why do you like him? He's annoying and stupid."

"He was probably trained to be persistent and annoying," Kaiba answered quickly, and Mokuba shook his head in exasperation.

"Yeah, like a dog," Mokuba said coldly, walking back into his room. "Glad you can take him off my hands. He needs to be fed every two hours."

The door slammed, and Kaiba silently thanked his brother for being so perceptive.

He hurried down the stairs to join Joey in the kitchen, trying to keep his heart from pounding too loudly with excitement.  
Joey was the way to Atem.  
He was sure of it.

* * *

"What is it, my boy?" Solomon asked warmly as Atem came floating up to him wearing a sorrowful expression.

"Grandfather," Atem began, intent on buttering the old man up to say 'yes' to his request. "I'm…lonely. My friends have left for shore, and I fear even Mana is growing tired of me."

"Understandable," the old man said, nodding and continuing on his way towards the infirmary. "Come, let's watch some eggs hatch. That's a good way to pass the time, watching young ones come into the world."

Atem nodded silently and stuck resolutely by Solomon's side, giving him a small smile. "To ease my loneliness, I'd like some more friends."

"You'd like me to find you some new friends?" Solomon asked, genuinely surprised. "I thought you didn't like that at all. What changed, Atem?"

"I'm lonely," Atem repeated as they floated to a stop by the closed doors of the infirmary. "I would like to release two mermaids from Confinement. Mai and Anzu. They are in the same cave, so it should be fine, right?"

Solomon frowned sympathetically and rested a hand on Atem's shoulder. "That is not our decision. You must speak to a Counselor or a Dungeon Master. I wish you luck, my boy, you have my blessing. A millennium is too long to be sitting around doing nothing anyway. Free your friends from Confinement and come to me if you need my seal."

"Thank you," Atem breathed a grateful sigh of relief and gave his grandfather's hand a squeeze. "I'll go now."

Without waiting another heartbeat, Atem swam away rapidly, his heart soaring with joy. Now to find the resident Dungeon Master.

He powered through the water but was stopped by Mahad, who peered curiously into his face, noticing the king's drastic change in mood.

"My King," Mahad said deeply, smiling and bowing. "May I accompany you anywhere today? You seem to be in high spirits."

"Who is our resident Dungeon Master?" Atem asked in a rush. "I have Solomon's blessing to free two of my mermaid friends from Confinement."

"That is…a hard task, even for one with your status, your highness," Mahad said slowly with a frown creeping across his brow. "We will go together, and let's see if we can plead for their case. It will depend on how long the ladies have been serving time, and how forgiving the Dungeon Master is."

Atem nodded fervently and let Mahad lead the way out through the palace gates, smiling politely at the few groups of people mingling around. The people turned to wave and smile back at him, so Atem waved warmly in return, feeling happier than he'd ever been in the past few moons.

* * *

Kaiba gripped the steering wheel tightly and did his best to ignore Joey's incessant chatter. The blond merman was also changing the radio channels every few seconds, and it was beginning to cause a pounding headache to build behind his ears.

"Just a bit further…" Joey said happily, trailing his fingers over Kaiba's narrow dashboard and tapping another button on the radio again. "Man, my car doesn't have this! Tristan bought one that was bare bones! Do all cars come with this kind of tech—"

"I need specific instructions, not just _'a bit further'_ ," Kaiba hissed, slowing the down to park along the deserted freeway.

They had been driving along the narrow road above the water's edge, and Joey had claimed he had _'presents from Atem'_ stashed somewhere along the rocks, so Kaiba had immediately agreed to drive them to the spot.  
But the sun was setting, and it was getting dark.  
Either Joey was lost, or he was just stringing him along for fun.

Joey poked his head up, gazing around excitedly and the appreciating how the roofless car gave him a full view of the sky above them.

"Hey! Focus!" Kaiba clicked his nails irritably against the edge of his steering wheel, his impatience rising. "You're acting like you've never been in a car before."

"Not these kinds of cars," Joey grumbled, sitting back down and pointing at a dip in the land a few feet below them. "There! That's where it is. Now how do we get down there from here?"

Kaiba sighed and craned his neck over the edge of the windshield, seeing Joey pointing at a cluster of rocks on the beach. It looked identical to nearly every other section of the beach they had since passed, and Kaiba lost his temper.

"Seriously?" Kaiba fumed. "You couldn't have told me at the exit back there, so we could've parked the damn car and walked?"

"I'm sorry, dude!" Joey scratched the back of his head apologetically. "I dunno! You asked me to show ya, so I did! Wanna double check?"

"What?" Kaiba growled, and before he could react, Joey grabbed one of his hands off the steering wheel and held it tightly. Suddenly, a series of images flashed through his mind; glittering rooftops covered in bits of glass, seaweed, and multicolored seashells, followed by a long stretch of water hugging a wall of jagged rocks, then at the surface, a clear beach, with smooth sand, and a small cluster of rocks. Underneath the rocks, a small hole was dug out.…

Kaiba blinked rapidly, and the highway road appeared before him again, and his heart thudded excitedly.  
Wow.  
That was his first glance at what Atem's home looked like.  
It was…beautiful.

"That's what you care about?" Joey asked incredulously, shaking his head. "Mahad was wrong about you. He thinks you're out to kill us, but you're not too bad, Kaiba, not too bad."

"Why would I want to kill anyone?" Kaiba raged, wondering what lies Mahad was spewing about him underwater. "I saved your life, and hell, I _released_ Atem when I wanted to fucking keep him. Look at me now, paying the price for my own stupidity."

"Alright," Joey held his hands up defensively. "Don't shoot the messenger. I'm only sayin' what I heard. Let's get down there. Can we leave the car here and climb down?"

Kaiba shut the engine off with a tired sigh and nodded. They got out of the car and peered over the edge of the metal railing, and Kaiba suppressed a tiny shiver.

Was Joey really suggesting they hop this railing like idiots and hurdle down the sloping cliffside to their deaths below?

"Get back in the car, we're driving to the beachfront," Kaiba said coldly, tapping his keys, but Joey gave him a round-eyed look, asking, "Ya' don't wanna slide down with me? Your claws are much longer than mine…I'm the one riskin' it if you wanna talk about danger."

"Slide down?" Kaiba repeated, unable to hide his surprise. What else was he going to learn today?

"Yeah! Like…we do in Training. Or wait, did you even complete any Training?" Joey scrunched his face up as he tried to recall what he knew about hatchlings being sent to shore. "Nah, you would've been a little boy. You're right. Never mind. We'll drive down."

"No, go ahead. We can slide down," Kaiba said, flashing Joey a challenging half-grin. "I learn fast. You first, I'll follow. If we break anything, we heal fast anyway. After you."

Joey shrugged and swung a leg over the thick metal railing with ease, "'Kay, watch and learn!"

Kaiba blinked, and Joey was gone.  
He had leapt over the metal railing with an energetic _whoop!_ and disappeared.

Racing to the edge, Kaiba peered down, hearing Joey's cheerful shouts echoing up from below. He was letting gravity drag him down the side of the cliff while he hung on with one clawed hand, leaving a trail of rock debris and dust blooming behind him.

Amazed, Kaiba scanned the highway behind him, and then back down at the sloping rock below. He saw Joey reach the bottom and expertly hop off the top of the rocks and land on his feet in the sand.

"C'mon! It's fun!" Joey called, waving both his arms energetically. _Just make sure to keep your feet down, and don't let go. The trick is…no hesitation!_

 _No hesitation…right_ , Kaiba growled to himself, swinging his long legs over the metal railing and gazing down at the rocks sticking straight up from the bottom. Dying had to be harder than this.  
Or maybe dying was this easy.  
This was nothing.  
This was suicidal.  
This was simple.  
This was fucking insane.

"Scaredy cat!" Joey taunted, making a face up at the CEO after hearing his thoughts trail thinly down from above. "Cowaaarrrd!"

Spurred on by the insult, Kaiba let a more familiar emotion consume him—rage, and he jumped off the edge without another thought, making sure to keep his palm tight against the cliff's wall. The magnificent sound of crumbling rocks filled his ears, and the bottoms of his feet burned white hot the faster as he tore downwards through the air at a frightening speed.

The wind whipped his hair painfully into his eyes, and the salty tang of the ocean air growing closer made his head rush.

Before he knew it, his heels hit something solid, and Kaiba glanced down, relieved and amazed to see that he had landed at the bottom without a scratch. A couple of towering rocks were in his way, but he climbed those easily and landed in the soft sand beside Joey, who gave him a crushing hug.

"You're good!" Joey crowed, thumping Kaiba on the back excitedly. "You're like a natural. Ya' know, the first time Tristan did it, he scraped his nose off! And Duke, he almost lost a finger—"

"Great," Kaiba said aggressively, shoving Joey away and wondering if he would ever meet these other people the merman was always talking about. "Where's your stash?"

"Should be along here," Joey said, smiling, and he dashed off down the beach.

Kaiba followed automatically, sprinting after Joey with long strides. Something was rubbing into the bottoms of his feet, so he slowed down to check, startled to see the entire bottom of his shoes had disappeared.

It had been worn off by the sheer speed of his slide downhill.

"Damn it!" Kaiba cursed, slipping his shoes off and holding it up for closer inspection. He could see the entire ocean's horizon line through the bottoms of his brand-name shoes.

"Whassa matter?" Joey called while climbing up a rounded rock, and Kaiba held his footwear up over his head, shooting a furious response back in his mind.

 _Lost the bottom of my favorite shoes from that little stunt. I'll bill you later._

 _I can't afford nothin' you wear_ , Joey retaliated heartily, standing at the top of the rock and gazing down into the foamy water _. I'mma jump and come back up with the loot. You wait here, kay?_

 _Wait!_ Kaiba rushed over to the rock and leaned against the side, catching his breath. _Leave your clothes. I'm not having your soaking wet ass ruining my leather seats._

 _Are you fucking serious?_ Joey rolled his eyes, exasperated, but he obliged and quickly stripped off his clothes, tossing them down and making sure they landed obnoxiously on top of Kaiba's head.

Growling furiously, Kaiba yanked the clothes off his face and threw them aside, intent on teasing Joey about his nakedness, but the merman had already dived down with a splash and disappeared.

Sighing, Kaiba sat down in the sand and shut his eyes, feeling a familiar wave of nausea bubbling up in his chest. Shit. He felt like vomiting for the first time in a very long time.  
Maybe the cliff slide was overexertion.

Leaning over on all fours, Kaiba gasped for air as his vision turned green, and then white, before he felt bile rising quickly in his throat. He threw up in the sand, and then he leaned back on his heels, wiping his mouth gingerly with the back of his hand, his ears ringing unpleasantly.

His bile had a slightly greenish tinge and was slimy, looking exactly like Atem's vomit the day of his release.

Shiiiit.

"What? What is it? You okay?" Joey clambered up over the rock with the seaweed sack dripping wet over his bare shoulder, and he glanced down, seeing Kaiba hastily sweeping sand over a puddle of sick that had a greenish tinge.

"…. Oh…" Joey set the sack down heavily, his stomach churning with pity. "Did you just…? Was that…? That was blood. You had blood in your spew."

"Shut up," Kaiba snapped, his head spinning violently with a headache. "Just, shut up. Did you get it?"

"Yeah… I got it," Joey lowered the sack full of glass containers gingerly into the sand before he hopped down and picked his clothes up. "Hey…you okay? You're not gonna croak at the wheel on the way back, are ya'? I didn't come all the way over here just to die in a car accident."

"I said shut up," Kaiba repeated, his humiliation rising higher and higher. He took several deep breaths, eyeing the bundle of glass containers in the woven seaweed sack, and his heart soared with triumph.

"Is that what I think it is?" Kaiba composed himself quickly and stood up to dust the sand off his pants.  
Atem sure knew how to deliver.  
There had to be at least fifty jars of semen in the bulging sack.

"Yeah, it's full of…whatever gross game you and Atem are playing," Joey said, eyeing Kaiba carefully with a hint of fear in his soft brown eyes. "You're dying."

"No, really?" Kaiba rolled his eyes sarcastically. "You think?"

There was a tense silence, and Joey nervously dried his hair off with his shirt before he put it back on.

"You fucking idiot," Kaiba raged, pointing at Joey's wet shirt and coughing weakly. "I said to keep the clothes dry!"

"I'll be dry by the time we get back up there!" Joey cried hastily, his irritation rising. "Ya don't look good enough to climb back up."

"I'm fine," Kaiba breathed, but bright spots colored the edges of his vision. "I can stand. I'm fine."

"No…you're gonna fall over any second. I know it," Joey said quietly, shaking his head. "One time, a Cadet pushed herself so much, she threw up the way you just did…and few moons later, we never saw her again."

"You're saying I'm going to die, _I get it_ ," Kaiba hissed, fully fed up with the naysaying. "My salvation is in the jars. The answer is there, I just have to find it."

Joey frowned skeptically and remained silent.

"Here," Kaiba tossed Joey the car keys. "Climb up and drive back the way we came. There's a small parking lot at the bottom. I'll meet you up there with the jars. There's no way I'm letting you take these up the side of a cliff unsecured."

Joey shook his head tiredly and accepted the keys from Kaiba. "You really are somethin' ya know?"

"I'm helping myself because no one cares," Kaiba fumed, glaring at Joey. "So anytime you want to tell me about the location of the Chrysalis, I'm listening."

"You know the answer to that one, buddy," Joey said simply, and he walked off down the beach, trying to ignore the painful heartbeats in his chest.

He fully understood where Atem was coming from when the king said he wanted to help Seto Kaiba; this was what he meant.

Sighing, Joey tucked the keys in his pocket and hopped over the tall rocks, giving Kaiba one last look over his shoulder before he dug his claws into the cliffside and began to climb.

Kaiba knelt on one knee, still trying to make the spots in his vision go away. His entire body ached, and he felt like shit, but he knew that he was the winner today.

Today, he had learned so much through Joey, and if this kept up, the Chrysalis would be in sight.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

packed chapter.  
Joey and Kaiba = the unlikely pair.  
Atem attempts to free anzu and mai while Kaiba's condition continues to worsen.

edited by:taedae

please leave a comment or consider following this story (it updates once every 2 weeks)

thank you for your reading support!

-Ugli


	30. Chapter 30

A tall, slender building built with pure stone towered above Atem's head, and he paused to crane his neck upwards to stare.  
Incredible! This place looked like a stone fortress.

"Come, let's not waste time," Mahad urged, pulling Atem in through the front doors.

"Halt!" A guard at the front held his hand up, and his narrowed eyes darted between Atem and Mahad. "State your name and business."

"Warrior Mahad accompanying our King Atem," Mahad said coolly, "We are here to see the sitting Dungeon Master."

"You may enter and…get in line," the man said gruffly, waving them inside.

Atem resisted the urge to glare at the man.

"Get in line?" Atem whispered to his bodyguard. "How rude."

"No, I believe he meant that literally," Mahad said quietly, pointing at the enormous queue of mer-people standing in a line so long, it wrapped around the entire wall of the inside of the building. Thick, woven strands of blue kelp marked the divide between each line, and Atem gaped at the crowd.

The crowd here was larger than most turnouts for his processions.

"Why are there so many people? Why are they all waiting?" Atem asked fervently, his skin burning as several women glared at him while they swam past, consoling their friend between them who was sobbing quietly.

"There is only one Dungeon Master," Mahad began, "And thousands of us—"

"My king!" A woman threw herself forward and gripped so tightly onto Atem's forearms, she drew blood with her claws. "Please…please! You must help me! My baby was wrongfully committed! She's a good girl! She would never! It was her friends! Th-They thought it was a good idea—"

"Hands off the king," Mahad growled, prying the woman off from Atem and pushing her gently aside. "Where is the end of the line?"

"There is no end!" She wailed, wiping the tears off her face in distress. "The Dungeon Master will tell you to wait and wait again! I've been here for twenty moons! I won't leave, eat, or sleep if she won't be freed! Free my baby girl! Her name is Iesha! That's her name, can you remember it—?"

"Please back away," Mahad insisted, his expression darkening as her wails began to draw a crowd.

Mildly terrified, Atem watched as every single person in line turned to stare, and then subsequently bowed their heads, mummering and whispering, "it's the king. The king is here."

Atem froze on the spot, and rapid thoughts from other people began filling his mind so fast, he didn't have a chance to brace himself.

 _The king is unsympathetic._

 _Oh, how I wish the queen were here to save us…if only she was still alive._

 _He's visiting to see our horror up close._

 _This is her son…._

 _The young king… this is my first time seeing him._

 _He looks young. A mere infant._

"We're leaving," Mahad growled, grabbing Atem by the arm firmly and steering him to the exit. "And you're bleeding."

The king glanced down at the small pinpricks left in his skin by the woman's nails, and he ignored it.

"I need to speak to the Dungeon Master," Atem insisted, pulling away from Mahad, and the crowd began to part eerily, giving him a clear view of a stone hallway leading deeper into the building.

"Then by all means my king," a woman somewhere to the left spoke up. "Go and see the Dungeon Master. Tell him and the Council that two millennia is too long for my child to be sitting in prison for merely kissing a human."

"I will wait at the back of the line like everyone else," Atem said shakily, but he received cold glares from the people around him.

"You are the king! Go forward and represent us!" A man cried, while his wife clung onto his arm clearly biting back tears of anger and frustration. "There's no use if you wait out here with us. The late queen would know exactly what to do."

"Indeed, a queen would! A brave and wise queen!" Came a chorus of dissenting people, and Mahad, sensing a riot, raised his staff and nodded fervently.

"No need to worry! King Atem will go forth and represent you," he announced hastily, and he sent Atem a private thought. _Swim into the hallway…quickly!  
People are angry.  
I will stay out here and defend your good name. Go…now!_

Without waiting another heartbeat, Atem dove forward into the hallway, hearing the rising cry of unhappy people echoing in after him, and he shivered. There were so many things he had yet to learn about his own kingdom—going on shore to see Kaiba really did seem like the least of his worries.

Here, there were hundreds of parents begging for the release of their children.

Shaken to his core, Atem composed himself quickly and took several deep breaths.

He floated into an empty room, and he glanced around apprehensively, taking in the bare walls. A series of stone steps led upwards, so Atem swam towards them, following them up the curved structure and marveling at the stained-glass design shaped like a blossoming star in the ceiling above his head.

This building looked like it was modeled off a Human Residence.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Atem floated to a stop at the top, seeing a lone merman buried amongst towers of books and papers. Some were floating around in the water, and some were pinned to the stone wall with stray barnacles, and Atem blinked, trying to understand the chaotic scene before him.

"Why is there only one of you?" Atem asked bluntly, not bothering with formalities. "Are you the Dungeon Master?"

The man dropped a book into the sandy ground and zoomed up out of the piles of papers to greet him, bowing and stammering nervously, "G-Greetings my king! Wh-What brings you here?"

Atem gaped at the man, taking in his long silvery white hair, glowing alabaster skin and long, black claws.

"Are you…that Merchant who threw something at me in the Marketplace?" Atem wondered, recalling the nasty white-haired merman named Bakura who had hurled a knife at him while his back was turned.

"You must be thinking of my brother," the man said hastily, bowing again so deeply, Atem couldn't see his face. "He has a scar on his cheek, whereas I am unmarked. How may I be of service?"

"Where's Duke?" Atem asked, knowing the answer full well, but he wanted the man to know he knew Duke. "He's got black hair and wears a lot of his own jewelry."

"He's on land!" The man said, straightening up with a hesitant smile, and Atem could see that this man looked nothing like the evil Merchant from the Marketplace.

His eyes were grey, round, and had an air of innocence about them.

"My name is also Bakura…yes a cruel joke played by my parents who thought we'd grow up to be the same person," the man said, shaking his head sadly. "Yami Bakura is my brother who you've undoubtedly met. He prefers that name anyway."

"I see, well…" Atem stored this information away quickly and pressed on with his agenda. "Please release mermaids Anzu and Mai."

Bakura paled visibly and shook his head sadly, "If I free them, I will be killed by the next person who comes to me. But since you made the journey here, let me check their Records."

Bakura dove back behind the tower of books and Atem scanned each stack of paperwork carefully, his irritation rising.

This was a broken system and the Council was to blame.

Clearly, they only wanted to punish people and make sure they had no way of escaping once in Confinement.

"Who drew up the pact for keeping merpeople in Confinement?" Atem asked curiously, and Bakura's muffled answer came from behind another stack of papers.

"A mer-person named Ambassador Shadi. I'm not supposed to tell anyone that, because people will attack him instead. I think he is a member of your court," Bakura popped his head up and gave Atem a wide-eyed look. "And…judging by your expression, you didn't know it either."

"That would…explain a lot," Atem breathed, recalling Shadi's hateful comments towards Kaiba. "I've been run around in a circle!" If he had known sooner that Shadi kept the prison pacts, he could've acted from the comfort of his own throne room.

"Found it!" Bakura cried, swimming upwards rapidly and holding a scroll out for Atem to read. "It says _: Anzu Mazaki, caught Mating with a male human 67 times on three different shores; Sighted twice on an American shore, and sentenced to 67 epochs in Confinement."_

Numb with shock, Atem sat down right on the sandy floor, feeling a strange, horrible pressure building behind his eyes which he recognized as tears.

"And…your reaction is understandable," Bakura continued gently, producing another scroll and unfurling it to read, "Mai Kujaku a.k.a Miss Valentine. Oh dear, a mermaid with a nickname."

"Just…read it," Atem said through clenched teeth, and he dug his nails into his palms feeling them sting painfully.

"Mai Kujaku a.k.a Miss Valentine," Bakura cleared his throat shakily, "Sighted fifteen times in the past three centuries on all continents. Caught mating with different human males on each continent, and even seeking out their adult children by establishing meetings via ' _family tradition'_. Known to spread false information to humans about mer-people…and is a known Hoarder."

Atem held his breath and stared at Bakura, who looked right back at him, his eyes soft with sympathy.

"There's more. A lot more," the white-haired merman said sadly, rolling up the scroll. "These two are real criminals in the eyes of the Council. A pardon from a royal might make the people question your authority."

"Well, people can change," Atem said firmly, rising out of the sand with determination. "I want to pardon every single mer-person in Confinement. If they have served even a century's worth of time, then they deserve a pardon."

Bakura's eyes turned misty and he set the scrolls down, swimming forward to grab Atem's hands with a smile, "Then, I support you. You would be taking a huge burden off my shoulders. You would be reuniting families!"

"Yes, all those families waiting outside…to see you, only to be turned down," Atem said quietly, giving Bakura's hands a warm squeeze, feeling the man tremble happily in response.

"What will the Council say?" Bakura asked, the fear returning in his voice quickly. "I can put your pardon into effect with the power of _my_ pact. But…the Council…."

"I'll deal with them," Atem said seriously. "Let them behead me or dethrone me, I don't care. There are hundreds of people down there, who haven't eaten, slept, or moved from their spot in line because they have hope. I need to do something."

"Your concern is much appreciated," Bakura mumbled, bowing deeply while still holding onto Atem's hands. "I will break the binding pact sealing the prison, and your people will have one sunlit day to get their children out before the Council finds out. That's all I can do."

"That's more than enough," Atem breathed. "Give me time to tell everyone. It will also give the parents time to journey there. Break the pact in 3,600 heartbeats after I leave, understood?"

"V-Very well," Bakura said with a small smile, pointing at Atem's earrings. "Duke was right about you. I know if anything happens to me, you will defend my name with your life. You are a true king, Atem."

Atem nodded silently, unable to find his voice.

He gave Bakura's hand one last squeeze before he swam down the spiral staircase from which he came, and he heard Bakura sending him a thought.

 _3,600 heartbeats! I'm starting my countdown now._

 _Thank you!_ Atem called back frantically as he zoomed through the empty room and paused at the exit, seeing people crowding around a very tired and angry-looking Mahad.

"My king," he said wearily, and the people parted respectfully for Atem to come through. "You're empty-handed. Did he deny you the scroll you need to free your friends?"

There was a long silence and Atem felt all eyes on him as he mustered up his courage to speak, "I have some news."

A heavy silence blanketed the room, and everyone turned to him with expectant eyes.

"I have managed to pardon everyone in Confinement," Atem began, and there was a unanimous gasp. "I asked the Dungeon Master to wait 3,600 heart beats before breaking the pact that will lift the barriers around Confinement. This will also give us time to travel there together and—"

The rest of Atem's speech was drowned out by cheers and sobs from the people around him. Mahad threw him a panicked look and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him through the throng of people who were all trying to touch him.

Atem grew dizzy as many hands tightened around his fins before letting go just as quickly, and beautiful faces of the mermaids in Confinement flashed through his mind.

Unable to see properly, Atem gratefully allowed Mahad to lead him out the front doors and away from the people's hands.

Finally free of the crowd, Atem let his eyes re-adjust to the ocean around him, still seeing many people floating around him, many of them crying tears of relief as they darted off towards the prison, some even singing lovely songs while waving at him over their shoulders.

"Atem…did you really do that?" Mahad asked gruffly, returning a salute from a fellow Warrior who swam by escorting his tearful Mate. "You freed everyone in Confinement?"

"I pardoned them, yes," Atem said nervously, gripping the wounds on his arms which had opened up again, and a few drops of blood dissipated in the water. "So if I were ever removed from power, their sentences would be reinstated. I don't have the power to change Prison Pacts."

"But you just did!" Mahad cried, looking startled. "You don't know the extent of your word, do you, my king?"

"I-Is that what I did?" Atem asked faintly, feeling slightly lightheaded. "Well, good for them."

"Good for them?" Mahad repeated, growing increasingly more agitated. "What will the Council say? What will your grandfather say? He gave his blessing for two mermaids, not the entire prison!"

"Bakura said if I freed one, the rest would be upset," Atem protested, swimming after the last mer-person who had exited the building. "Are you coming with me or not, Mahad? I want to see my friends."

Mahad nodded silently and swam by his side, still looking very worried. "I'll go anywhere with you to keep you safe, Atem."

"Thank you, Mahad," Atem said warmly, and he gave his bodyguard a warm smile before darting forward through the water, his high spirits returning quickly. He was sure he had done a good deed.

If Solomon or the Council had anything to say about it, he would deal with it later.

* * *

Kaiba carefully labeled each of the glass jars containing Atem's semen and leaned back to admire them. Excitement raced through his veins as he considered his many options.

Now that Joey had appeared in his life, he was going to take full advantage of this connection to Atem. But first, he had to test how efficient this connection would be.

 _I'll start with asking him to deliver a small present_ , Kaiba mused, gathering the jars and shoving them into the large freezer built into the wall.

He raced up the stairs, not bothering to take the elevator. After locking himself safely inside his room, Kaiba strode into his closet and accessed the wall safe he kept hidden behind several suit jackets.

He swung the metal door open and gazed at the small piles of gems he kept organized in clear plastic bags. Picking one containing diamonds, Kaiba held the bag up to the light, watching the gems sparkle wonderfully back at him.

If Atem asked for a diamond ring, he would get one.

Slamming the safe's door shut, Kaiba rushed out of his closet and grabbed his coat.  
The night was still young, and it was only a bit past dinner time.  
He would barge into the old jeweler's home and ask him to draft designs for rings.

Then, he would test Joey and ask him to deliver the ring to Atem.

* * *

Mahad hovered a few yards away from the edge of the crevice, eyeing the crowd of mer-people embracing their daughters while crying happily, and he gave Atem a serious look.

"Be careful…" Mahad began, but Atem had already swum away, darting expertly through the people, clearly looking for his friends.

Atem accidentally bumped elbows with a few families, but he barreled on, calling out for Mai and Anzu in his mind.

There was no answer, and Atem swam higher to get a better vantage point on all the families, looking for a familiar crop of brown or blonde hair. Frowning in frustration, Atem dove straight down into the crevice, shutting his eyes tightly and letting the debris rush past his ears before he opened them again.

Everything was eerily quiet. There was no one shouting 'halt!' in a familiar voice, and several of the luminescent fish had been taken from the walls by families who didn't know the way, leaving giant, dark holes in the rocks.

Swimming slowly through the darkness, Atem passed by several empty caves, still calling for his friends.

"Mai! Anzu?" Atem heard his voice echo thinly in the empty prison, and his anxiety deepened as he reached a familiar cave. He threw the kelp curtain back and saw nothing but a ratty sponge couch. Everything had been cleaned out, and not a soul was in sight.

Biting back angry tears, Atem swam upwards through the fizzure, trying to ignore the rapid, painful pounding of his heart.  
Perhaps Mai and Anzu were the first ones to leave without looking back.  
They couldn't bear to stay another moment longer, not even to say thank you, or even a goodbye.

Atem spotted Mahad floating in the distance with his arms crossed around his staff, and he swam glumly towards his bodyguard.

"Your friends are not there?" Mahad asked knowingly with a grimace. "They were probably excited to leave. Come. Let's head back. Perhaps they'll come by to thank you after they enjoy their freedom."

Furious, Atem nodded silently and followed Mahad back to the palace. Were Mai and Anzu really that fickle? It didn't seem right, but it still felt hurtful after having swam all this way to see them and only to have been greeted with an empty cave.

"My king!" A woman zoomed past, towing her daughter behind her. She had flaming red hair that was floating around her face prettily when they floated by. "Thank you so much! This is my daughter, Iesha!"

Atem stared blankly into a beautiful, pale face of the mermaid who smiled and dipped her head down respectfully.

 _You're welcome_ , Atem replied glumly in his mind, unable to put up a fake smile for the girl. _Please enjoy your freedom_.

He watched the two women swim off together, arm in arm, and he felt a pang of loneliness. Perhaps freeing Mai and Anzu was no different than purchasing friends, the way Solomon had done for him.

Trying not to feel too depressed, Atem continued to follow Mahad's glittering violet tail, filling his mind with thoughts of Seto Kaiba, wondering what the CEO was doing right this second.

* * *

Kaiba rapped his knuckles on the jeweler's door and rang the doorbell too. He stood back and sighed impatiently.

Time was of the essence here. Joey didn't say how long he was staying on land, and according to Mokuba, he had already been on land for a while.

The door opened a slight crack, jolting Kaiba out of his thoughts, and the CEO managed a smile. "Mr. Suiren."

"Mr. Kaiba," the old man said dryly, looking as if he was about to shut the door again. "Didn't know you knew my name…or my place of residence. What can I do for you?"

"This can't wait, and I know I'm intruding," Kaiba said, deciding to go with full honesty. "But I need you to make me a ring. Or several. They need to fit…these stones."

He slipped the clear jewelry bag out of his pocket and watched the old man's eyes widen with interest.

"The price has gone up," the old man said cleverly, eyeing the bag with glowing eyes. "I charge more for house calls."

 _He wants a ring? Met a girl perhaps? A mail-order girl? Kyahahaha… and he's being unusually polite today._

"Just shut up and let me in," Kaiba growled after hearing the old man's thoughts.

Mr. Suiren stepped aside and let him inside. Kaiba tapped his shoes on at the doormat and slipped them off quickly, following the old man through his tiny apartment, eyeing all the family photos and drawings on the wall.

"In here," the old man called, walking down a shallow flight of stairs just beyond the kitchen, and Kaiba followed, still listening to the old man's thoughts.

 _At least he said he's intruding. I wonder if—_

The thoughts abruptly stopped, and Kaiba stood at the foot of the stairs, noticing the old man pulling out a laptop from a desk drawer.

"Did you say something?" Kaiba prompted, wondering what caused the old man's confusion, but to his annoyance, Mr. Suiren blinked slowly at him and shook his head, silently tapping at his computer.

All was quiet. There was nothing but unnerving silence.

Kaiba glanced around the room, wondering if he was going crazy.

"What is this place?" Kaiba asked aggressively, taking backward steps up the stairs and wondering if the old man had somehow caught onto his mind-reading powers.

"Relax," the old man growled, slipping spectacles out of his pocket and placing them on his nose. "This is my workshop. Isn't it obvious?"

"What's lining the walls?" Kaiba asked perceptively, walking back down the steps and glancing around heatedly. "What do you keep down here?"

The old man stared at him for a long moment before he cracked a grin, "Very perceptive, Mr. Kaiba. Yes, this room also doubles as a safe. I keep the gems I work with down here. Again, obvious…"

Kaiba stared back and waited for the old man's condescending thoughts to fill his mind, but there was nothing but silence.  
Amazing.  
Perhaps this was the answer to thought-blocking!

"…What was the main material you used to build this room?" Kaiba asked aggressively, his heart racing with excitement.

"It's fortified with plain steel," the old man said with a sigh. "I have money, but not that much money. I have enough to make my workplace safe. Now, what design did you want? Does the girl who is wearing this ring want to have a look first?"

"What is 'plain' steel?" Kaiba asked furiously, his hand inching down for his phone. "Does it contain nickel? What company did you call for this installation?"

"Mr. Kaiba, I want to focus on the task at hand, because you are intruding upon my personal time," the jeweler said impatiently, glaring at the CEO over the rim of his spectacles. "Come, place the gems on my worktable and we can decide on a ring that will fit the—"

"Let's talk upstairs," Kaiba interrupted, and without waiting, he turned and marched back into the main living area.

He heard audible grumbling and suddenly, the jeweler's thoughts filled his mind once more.

 _…Selfish, young, conceited. I wonder what girl he found that was stupid enough to marry him._

Amazed, Kaiba stared at the old man, watching him sigh and set the laptop down on the dining table.

"Now, please get comfortable," the jeweler growled. "And show me the gem you'd like to use."

Kaiba pulled out a chair and sat down, quickly tossing the bag onto the table carelessly. He slipped out his phone and began searching for security companies that built steel safes. Something in the metal made it possible to block the thoughts….

The metal was the key. Something in the metal was the transmitter. Was this metal also found at the bottom of the ocean where Atem lived? Steel? At the very bottom of the ocean? Unlikely.

"…Mr. Kaiba," the jeweler said angrily. "Give me an answer. Do you want to use the largest gem here?"

"Yes, yes…" Kaiba replied hastily, tucking his phone away. "Make two."

"Of the same design?" Mr. Suiren sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I can draft up a few for you right now if you have time to wait."

"I've got all the time," Kaiba said calmly, watching the old man begin tapping around on his computer, mumbling to himself.

 _Didn't even tell me what the girl likes. Does he just want me to blindly make a ring? Young people these days have no taste._

"Just make something simple, classic," Kaiba said, hearing his own voice shake uncharacteristically. "A design that will withstand…time."

"I see. She doesn't want a 'trendy' design," the old man nodded, looking slightly more satisfied. "A classic ring on a young finger will make the ring look older than it is..."

"Then just do whatever the hell you want," Kaiba rubbed his temples as he felt a slight headache coming on. "Make a ring you've always wanted to make."

Mr. Suiren's eyes shone excitedly, and he fell silent for a moment before swiveling the computer around for Kaiba to see.

"I've always wanted to make a ring like this," the old man said warmly. "But clients want to keep the carat weight of their diamond. This is more about the meaningful _shape_ of the stone. I will be shaving off the edges of your gem to make this ring."

Kaiba stared at the digital sketch, his heart skipping excited beats in his chest.

This ring was beautiful…perfect even! A slender, elongated tear-drop shaped diamond sat on a delicate golden band, and a second ring was drawn underneath, with the gems set in a starburst pattern, accentuating the center stone.

"This is two rings," Kaiba said gruffly, and the jeweler nodded.

"Yes. One main ring, and the second is for flare. You'll need five gems total. I know you have a lot of disposable income, Mr. Kaiba. Would you like me to make this for her?"

"That is perfect," Kaiba declared, eyeing the bag of gems closely.  
The old man was sly.  
Almost all the diamonds in the bag were tear-drop shaped.  
They were practically a perfect fit for this design.

"Then I will start immediately," Mr. Suiren smiled for the first time since Kaiba's arrival. "My payment will be…one of your uniquely shaped diamonds. I won't accept cash from you anymore, Mr. Kaiba. There are some things money can't buy, and its these naturally formed stones, which you seem to have a lot of—"

"Yeah alright, fine," Kaiba rolled his eyes and stood quickly without bowing. "I'll come back in a week."

"This design takes two weeks!" The old man called after him. "One week per ring!"

Kaiba wasn't listening anymore. He was fixated on finding what type of metal could be used as a thought-blocker.

Filled with renewed vigor, Kaiba hurried back to his car, his mind racing wildly with ideas.

* * *

Atem swam glumly through the palace gates, nodding at the guards who greeted him with bows.

"My boy!" Solomon's booming voice echoed through the water, and Atem stared blandly at his grandfather.

"Your friends told me everything," the old man said warmly. "They're waiting for you in your room. Go and greet them—"

Atem sped through the water at breakneck speed, his fingertips tingling with excitement. He had been a fool to think Mai and Anzu would run off without saying anything.

He burst into his room and saw Mai and Anzu sitting together on his bed, giggling and gossiping.

"Atem!" Anzu cried, zooming towards him and throwing her arms tightly around his neck in a crushing hug. "Oh…thank you, thank you, _thank you_!"

"Yep, what she said," Mai said lazily, flipping her hair over her shoulder while rolling over in the bed. "I need one of these. I've missed real beds."

Shocked and relieved, Atem returned Anzu's hug with happy vigor and felt grateful tears building behind his eyes.

"How did you do it?" Anzu whispered, giving Atem's hands a wonderful squeeze. "You freed _everyone_! How can we ever thank you?"

"The Dungeon Master…is a friend," Atem managed to speak through his overwhelming emotions, and he sank tiredly to the floor of his room, his head spinning with exhaustion.

"Oh no! Mai, get off his bed! He can't sit on the floor," Anzu cried, but Atem shook his head, still hanging tightly onto Anzu's hands.

"There's plenty of room for three people up here," Mai said dryly, running her hands over Kaiba's steel belt buckle which Atem kept nailed to his wall above the headboard. "This is cool. Kaiba Corporation, right?"

Atem nodded, and he felt a rush of urgency as he remembered Joey's request.

"Mai, I know you just got out, but do you feel like making a journey to shore?" Atem asked, and Anzu gasped, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"Seriously, Atem?"

Mai threw her head back and laughed heartily, her shoulders shaking with mirth.

"Anzu, can't you see?" Mai said, sobering up quickly. "This is why he freed us, all of us. We can all help him now."

"No, it's not like that!" Atem insisted, his ears growing hot with embarrassment. "It's Warrior Jounouchi. I owe him a debt."

"You're using your first favor to do something for someone else?" Mai asked, her eyes widening prettily. "Alright your majesty. I can make a journey to shore for your warrior friend."

Anzu stared mutely at Atem, and he gave her a half-apologetic smile as he reached forward to take Mai's hands in his. "I'll give you a map. Ready?"

Mai nodded and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

Anzu watched apprehensively as the silence in the room thickened. It was broken quickly when Mai withdrew her hands with a confident smile, "I know exactly where that is."

"Good," Atem breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Tell him I miss him."

"I will!" Mai sang happily, easing off the bed and floating to the door. "I'll go now!"

"Now?" Anzu cried, the panic leaking into her voice. "Mai, we were just released! You can't!"

"The best time to go is now," Mai protested, pouting teasingly at Anzu. "Think about it. They would least expect it because they're thinking, ' _no mermaid would be stupid enough to rise to shore right after her release!_ ' So, I'm going now."

Anzu wrung her hands furiously and her cheeks flushed pink.

"Fine. Then I'm going with you. You can't go alone."

Atem's eyes darted between his friends, his heart sinking rapidly.

"We'll be back within a month," Anzu said reassuringly, giving Atem a warm hug before following Mai to the door. "Stay safe, okay? We'll send a Messenger if we can catch one!"

Atem nodded quietly and watched his two mermaid friends swim out the door and disappear down the hallway.

The silence in the room was deafening, and Atem sank slowly into a sitting position on the floor, curling his fingers so tightly in the sand, his skin burned.

Damn. Damn it all.  
Alone again.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

short but packed chapters.  
-atem released mermaids from jail  
-kaiba is slowly figuring out the key thought-blocking

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We've all set high and positive new year's goals for ourselves so i hope we will strive to achieve them together in this coming year :D

big hugs,  
Ugli


	31. Chapter 31

Kaiba wrinkled his nose as he stepped through the door of Joey's apartment. It was disgustingly depressing. The paint on the walls were peeling, and there was only one light in the ceiling. The bulb was dim, casting a dry yellow glow over the ratty furniture, and he saw two crumpled futons stuffed into the nearby closet.

The kitchen was only three paces wide, and the bathroom was a tiny hole. The shower area was combined with the toilet…with no bathtub in sight.

"This is our home," Joey said proudly, and Kaiba bit his tongue so hard, he tasted blood.

"I can't be in here," Kaiba said stiffly, and he backed out of the door to stand in the hallway, his head spinning with nausea.  
Damn. The sight of the dingy room made him sick.

"I mean, it's not like your _castle_ or anything, but we're comfortable," Joey said angrily, offended by Kaiba's reaction. "And you don't have to tell me that one of your bathrooms is twice as big as our room."

"How long are you…staying…?" Kaiba gasped, leaning over the apartment hallway railing for air. "…On land? I can't believe _two people_ live in this _hole_."

"Don't hurl," Joey said worriedly, noticing the color leaving Kaiba's face. "I'm due back at the end of the school year. I'm supposed'ta graduate."

"That's…five months from now," Kaiba breathed, pressing a hand tightly to his forehead as his vision pulsed white for a moment. "Mokuba is working on his thesis…"

"Yeah, I dunno if I'm gonna actually graduate," Joey said, shrugging halfheartedly. "Human school has been hard for me. I failed all my Warrior Entry written exams, so I'm hopeless."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Kaiba muttered, finally managing to compose himself fully. "But you and your friend can stay on my property until you leave."

Joey's mouth dropped open, and he blinked incredulously. "Yo… _seriously?!_ "

"Yes, seriously," Kaiba said impatiently, glancing into the dark apartment again before turning to walk away. "I won't let you have the TV if you have nowhere to mount it into the wall. Your walls look like they're about to crumble any second."

"Aw, thanks!" Joey grinned happily. "I'll pack my stuff!"

"Don't…bring anything filthy," Kaiba growled, rolling his eyes and waving his car keys above his head. "If you're only staying 6 more months, this better be the best 6 months of your life. Call your friend. We're going shopping."

Joey stood rooted to the spot, watching Kaiba walk farther and farther away. Was he misunderstanding?

 _Get in the car!_ Kaiba shouted mentally, already tucked into the driver's seat and buckled in. _Just live in my guest house! Leave it all behind. It's all garbage._

 _Even my clothes?_ Joey asked anxiously, gazing at his open closet door. _But I want my favorite shirts!_

There was a cold silence in the air, so Joey got the message. He shut and locked the door to his apartment before hurrying down the steps to join Kaiba in the car.

Maybe this was one of those "random acts of kindness" Mahad had mentioned.

Either way, Joey was elated, and he wasn't going to question Kaiba's generosity.

* * *

Atem was bored and lounging around on his bed when he heard someone tap frantically at his door.

"Enter," he said dully, and the latch swung open after some fumbling. To his mild surprise, it was the purple Messenger.

The octopus zoomed across the room and hovered too close to his face, panting breathlessly, "He's not there, my liege! I waited an entire week! He's gone! The Pure merman with blue eyes wasn't there to receive my message!"

Atem sat up quickly, his throat constricting at the terrible news. "He can't be...!"

"Then perhaps would you like me to wait at a different location?" the Messenger squeaked, "or I could go back and wait another week. I saw Warrior Mahad pass me by and deposit a sack of scales into a rock. I had to hide from him!"

Atem bit the inside of his cheek, reminding himself that Kaiba had stolen this Messenger from Mahad. A different location would be better.

"I know!" Atem brightened up with an idea. "There is another private rock. It belongs to my warrior friend, Jounouchi. I will give you a map, and you should wait there instead."

"Very well, very well," the octopus said happily, reaching a small tentacle out to touch Atem's shoulder. "I will read the map now."

Atem shut his eyes and visualized Joey's map one more time, hoping he wasn't losing clarity because this was his third time giving it away.

"Got it!" the octopus squeaked, and it dashed away quickly, leaving behind a trail of thin white bubbles.

Atem sighed and threw himself back down on his bed.  
It was looking like his entire century-long punishment was going to be spent in bed, thinking about Kaiba.

* * *

Isono stood by the door and bowed as Kaiba stepped inside, followed by two strangers carrying armloads of shopping bags and shoeboxes.

"Welcome home Master Kaiba," Isono said, sweeping his gaze over the two young men, taking in their plain clothes. The one with messy blond hair grinned and his friend bowed his head respectfully.

Were they Master Kaiba's…friends?

 _No, we are not friends_ , Kaiba growled in response, and Isono nodded stiffly.

"Oh! Master Kaiba, something came for you while you were out," the manservant called after Kaiba's shadow disappearing up the grand staircase. "I left it on your desk."

Tristan shifted the stack of shoeboxes onto his other forearm, straining with effort. This human's house was huge! And he was being treated like a pack mule.

 _Hey, are you okay?_ Joey asked, slowly coming up the stairs behind him with a groan. _Don't worry. He's not gonna hurt us. He says he wants ta' help._

 _See, you keep saying that, and I don't believe you man,_ Tristan rolled his eyes, following Kaiba down a long hallway and into another enormous room.

Kaiba spotted two boxes sitting on his desk, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

 _Perfect timing!_ He crowed, rushing over to slice the tape off the packaging with a long nail.

Tristan thunked the shoeboxes down onto the floor and patted his brow, sending Kaiba a thought.

 _What's in the boxes?_

Kaiba raised his head and rested his hand on the top flap, smirking, "Wait and see," he answered quietly.

Joey entered the room and slid the shopping bags off his arms, rubbing the red idents running up his forearm, "Man! Those are heavy."

He stared at Kaiba, who was methodically setting out sheets of metal on his desk, then threw himself down on the couch, yawning.

"Whassat?"

"The answer to all of my goddamn problems," Kaiba whispered gleefully, reaching into the second box and pulling out small cubes of steel, setting them in a neat row across his desk.

"Dice!" Tristan smiled, recognizing the shape. "Dude, I have a friend who loves that shit."

 _Duke would love to meet this guy,_ Tristan thought to himself, watching Kaiba pull out a marker and begin writing on each cube and every sheet of metal.

"Now, both of you stand here," Kaiba said firmly, gesturing for the men to come closer, and his body tingled with excitement at what he was about to do. "You first, Blondie."

"Can I just watch?" Joey asked airily, shutting his eyes and propping his feet up on the coffee table. "Make Tristan do it."

"Fine, you." Kaiba pointed at Tristan and then gestured at the metal on his desk. "Pick one and hold it in your hand."

Frowning, Tristan obeyed and approached the desk, scanning it quickly and choosing an unmarked silver cube.  
He weighed it in his hand and glanced suspiciously at Kaiba.  
What the fuck was this? Fucking weirdo!

Kaiba heard this thought and snatched the cube out of Tristan's hand. "That didn't work. Try this one."

He placed a second cube into Tristan's outstretched hand and waited, listening intently. There was nothing but silence.

"What are you thinking about right now?" Kaiba asked fervently, daring himself to feel excited, and Tristan shrugged. "Nothing? Man, I'm hungry…"

 _Idiot!_ Kaiba fumed. _His brain is just empty._

Tristan bristled at this.

"Hey! I heard that!" He said loudly, letting Kaiba snatch the cube out of his hand and place yet another one in his palm. "What are you doing?"

"Maybe it needs to be sheets of metal, because…. thoughts could be waves," Kaiba mused, grabbing the cube out of Tristan's hand and holding a sheet of steel in front of the warrior's face.

"Hey, say something," Kaiba urged, staring at his own distorted reflection in the metal sheet, and he heard Tristan insult him.

"Crazy madman."

"No, send me a private thought, you dolt," Kaiba growled, and he held his breath, waiting.

 _Okay uhhh…._ Tristan turned to give Joey a frantic stare. _Dude! What is up with this guy?!_

"Are you doing it? I don't hear anything," Kaiba said furiously, beginning to lose his patience. "Do I need to tell you what to say?"

 _I'm saying it_! Tristan cried angrily, giving the metal sheet in front of his face a vicious middle finger. _Put that thing down! Do you wanna tell us what you're doing?_

Kaiba blinked rapidly, hearing nothing but his own heartbeats in his ears.  
H-Holy shit.  
He'd been right!

 _I love it when I'm right!_ Kaiba celebrated privately, lowering the sheet and making eye contact with Tristan, and his mind was flooded with angry thoughts.

 _Dude! What is your problem? Can you be nice for like, two seconds? You—_

Kaiba raised the metal sheet over his face, and Tristan's thoughts were cut off instantly.

He waited five seconds before lowering it excitedly with a grin.

 _…been abandoned by your pod because you're so—_

He raised the sheet, and blissful silence rang in his ears.

He lowered it again, just to double check, and sure enough…

 _How old are you, anyway? No one has had a Mark like that since—_

He raised it again and stared gleefully at it.  
This was it! This was the answer! Thoughts were indeed waves and could be blocked by sheets of metal.

 _Then how are they conducted through the air_? Kaiba wondered.

A hand appeared in his vision, snatching the sheet away from him. and Tristan glowered at him hatefully.

Kaiba frowned, noticing that the merman was almost nose-to-nose with him.

"What is your freaking problem?" Tristan growled, and Joey waved sleepily from the couch. "He's just does that man, leave him alone."

 _I don't know if I should share it with these dolts_ , Kaiba thought cleverly, and both men perked up instantly, glaring at him.

"Share what?" Joey and Tristan said in unison, and Kaiba smiled genuinely for the first time in years.

"See for yourself," Kaiba said, reaching out to angle the metal sheet in Tristan's hand, making solid eye contact with the brown-eyed merman. "Listen closely…"

 _You don't know how long I've been working to solve this puzzle_ , Kaiba thought determinedly, moving to raise the sheet higher until it blocked his face from view.

 _You can't hear me, you can't hear me, you can't…._

He pushed Tristan's hand lower, making eye contact again.

 _…hear me, now you can hear me. Now you can hear me, now you—_

Tristan's eyes widened the moment Kaiba's voice disappeared from inside his head, and he broke out into a cold sweat.

He rapidly raised and lowered the metal sheet, hearing bits and pieces of Kaiba's voice echoing in his mind.

 _Now you c—  
You can hear me… now you ca—you…hear me now…now you—_

"H-Holy fuck!" Tristan jumped back and held the metal sheet in front of him with wide eyes, "Joey! Come here!"

"I would assume…something is transmitting our thoughts," Kaiba said, picking up a couple of the cubes and tossing them in the air before catching it expertly in his hand again. "Now that I know what material to use as a blocking mechanism, a transmitter will be easy to find."

Joey's mouth dropped open, and he bounded off the couch, prying the sheet out of Tristan's hand, "Think something!"

 _You're stupid, you're ugly, you're stupid_ , Tristan chanted, and Joey jerked the metal sheet violently up and down in front of his own face, his eyes wide with wonder.

 _you're ug—you're—st—ug—yo—you're—ug—st—you're…_

"Wow," Joey breathed, lowering the metal sheet and staring at it curiously.

 _…stupid you're ugly you're stupid you're ugly…_

"I got it!" Joey said loudly, fanning the sheet in front of Tristan's face. "You can shut up now."

"How come this doesn't work?" Tristan asked curiously, wrapping his fist around one of the metal dice.

"It's too concentrated…probably," Kaiba frowned, "I haven't figured out what the transmitter is, so shut up and sit down. Let me think."

Blood pounded excitedly through his ears as Kaiba entertained the possibility of being able to send Atem a thought from above water.

"Hey where's your dining hall?" Tristan asked obnoxiously. "Give us some food."

"Down on the third floor. Go bother the man wearing a white hat," Kaiba rolled his eyes and gave the two men a dismissive wave. "I'll call you up here again when I need you."

"He has a chef!" Tristan crowed, and Joey mimicked him happily. "He has a chef!"

"Just…get out!" Kaiba groaned, feeling a headache pounding behind his ears, coupled with another stray bubble of nausea. These two were insufferable!

Whooping and cheering, Joey and Tristan jostled each other playfully out the door.

Kaiba sighed tiredly and sat down behind his desk, hearing Isono waiting by the door faithfully.

"Hey, tell the maids in the guest house to prep the rooms, and have them unpack these bags," Kaiba called. Without waiting for a reply, he flipped his laptop open and began typing away furiously, checking the properties for each of the steel sheets he had ordered.

The answer was in the steel.

* * *

Atem swam glumly through the halls of the palace, extremely bored and restless.

He passed the infirmary where Mana and Serenity were hovering over the egg incubators and sighed sadly, deciding to swim over and greet them for the lack of better things to do, but he was stopped by the medic.

She bowed prettily and gently grabbed his hands, smiling. "My King. How are you these days?"

Atem nodded silently, feeling his body heat up as she began to scan his vitals.

"I've been—"

"Oh! Thank Ahti!" The medic cried out so suddenly, Atem jumped, startled.

"Come, come here," she cried, dragging Atem into a private examination area with unexpected force, and she drew the kelp curtains closed with a firm _swish!_

"You've recovered!" The medic whispered happily, positively glowing with relief. "I was right. You had nothing to worry about. Your impotence _was_ caused by shore sickness! And since you're young, you only needed a decade to recover."

"What a relief…" Atem said, his heart thudding tightly in his throat as he tried to draw a breath, but his chest was strangely tight.

"You're in great health!" She beamed, giving his hands another reassuring squeeze. "What's this I hear about you meeting and mating with a warrior from another shore? Does he want to come by for a screening? Perhaps one or both of you will be compatible for egg bearing—"

"No, no thank you," Atem said, vehemently shaking his head. "I'll be leaving now."

He dove out of the exam room and ran nose-first into Mana, who threw her arms around him in a lung-crushing hug.

 _You're cured! See? Everything is fine!_ She thought privately to him, and Atem felt his insides curl with embarrassment and shame.

It seemed news of his impotency had traveled around, because Serenity was blushing happily at him too.

"Thank you, Mana. Now please leave me alone," Atem said heatedly, his ears burning with fury as he pried her arms off his body, and swam rapidly for the exit, trying to quell the horrible churning inside his stomach.

That had been humiliating. There was no escape.  
Nothing in his life was private anymore, and everything was dark without Kaiba to make his days interesting.  
There was no escape.

Or…perhaps there was.  
What was stopping him from swimming up to the surface now?  
Joey, Tristan, Duke, Anzu, and Mai…all his friends were currently at the surface. Why was he the only one stuck down here watching eggs hatch with Mana and Serenity?

Invigorated by this idea, he sped through the palace, right out the front gates without addressing any of the guards who shouted after him, asking if he needed an escort.

Fueled by a mixture of desperation and fury, Atem swam straight up through the edge of the hemisphere, zooming past another row of guards who immediately began chasing after him, sending him frantic thoughts.

 _"Your majesty! Where are you going?"_

 _"King Atem! Please come back! You can't leave the city!"_

 _"Call for backup! Call Warrior Mahad!"_

Gritting his teeth, Atem tucked his hands at his sides and beat his tail rapidly behind him, using the techniques he had learned from Joey to get him through the water faster.

If he wanted to outswim a warrior, he needed to be faster…especially if they were going to be calling on Mahad, who was one of the fastest swimmers on this side of the ocean.

Very determined, Atem was fueled by the sounds of the warrior's thoughts growing fainter and fainter the farther away he managed to swim.

 _Freedom!_ Atem smiled gleefully to himself, and he could see the warm glow of the sun breaking through the water above him.

It had been a decade and few years since he had journeyed the distance to Kaiba's shore, but Atem had gone through the map in his head so many times while trapped in his room, it was stamped permanently into his mind.

Shore was so close; he could taste it.

Kaiba was within reach!  
Excited, Atem pushed himself harder, determined to see Kaiba's handsome face twisted into one of shock, and then…his eyes would soften, and he would smile….

As he continued to swim upwards, the water grew clearer, brighter, and the air was thinner…so thin that his lungs began to ache.

Concerned, Atem slowed down, and before he could properly understand what was happening, an invisible rope caught him around the neck and was choking him, dragging him firmly back down into the water.

Frightened and angry, Atem kicked out, thinking he had been caught in another net, but there was nothing around him, and the invisible noose was getting tighter and tighter, so tight, his vision was fading into white.

Opening his mouth to let out a silent scream, Atem grabbed fruitlessly at his own neck, feeling nothing but his own bare skin. The golden neckplate he wore had detached in his struggle and was sinking into the depths below.

Gasping for air one last time, Atem's vision faded to black just as he heard Mahad's deep voice calling his name, echoing from behind him, and the king blacked out for a moment, going limp in the water.

Mahad zipped through the water and expertly caught Atem as he was sinking rapidly.

"Atem! Please wake up!" He cried frantically, clutching Atem's body close to his chest while swimming back down into deeper waters, terrified by the claw marks running up and down Atem's neck and chest.

He was bleeding so much; the water was turning murky around them.

Spitting hastily on the wounds to seal them, Mahad kept swimming back down, his heart thudding fearfully inside his chest.  
This was all his fault. Damn…Damn!  
The one moment he had left Atem alone….

Atem cracked his eyes open and saw his own blood clouding the water around him just as he felt Mahad's arms tighten around his body.

 _"Atem! You're awake…thank god…."_

Atem opened his mouth to speak, but his throat burned, so he closed it and sent Mahad a faint thought.

 _What…happened?_

"Your pact activated," Mahad growled, his brow furrowed with deep concern. "You can't rise to shore because you agreed to the century-long punishment, which is part of your duties as king."

Atem blinked slowly, his vision fading in and out again as a painful pang seared through his heart at these words.

 _But I…didn't sign…or bleed in agreement to any of that!_ The king protested, feeling the water grow warmer the deeper they got. _Please don't bring me back home, Mahad. I can't…live like this…._

"I must bring you back, Atem," Mahad said mechanically, his stomach churning with sympathy. "Everyone saw you leave, so I must show that I've brought you back safely—Atem!"

Mahad gave the king a frantic shake. Atem had grown heavy in his arms and was unconscious.

 _He's losing too much blood!_ Mahad realized, terror-stricken.

He dove downwards with more urgency and barreled through the hemisphere guards, shouting in a booming voice, "Make way! Medic! Alert the medic!"

 _Damn you, Seto Kaiba,_ Mahad growled darkly, his fins aching from effort as Atem grew heavier and heavier in his arms.

This was all that damn merman's fault.  
The sooner Warrior Jounouchi returned with information about Kaiba, the better.

* * *

"So…. _This_ is the infamous 'private shore'," Tristan rolled his eyes while pacing the beach, counting each of his steps until he reached the end. "It's only 2,000 strides long!"

Kaiba folded his arms across his chest and said nothing, his feet sinking into the sand the longer he stood there, watching his two new companions inspect the beach.

"It's big enough!" Joey shouted happily, running into the water and jumping up and down with excitement. "The rock looks so different from up here. Hey, let's fight!"

"With what?" Tristan cried, picking up a small shell. "With these? Let's play that game where you throw it in a hoop! Who wants to draw the circle?"

"Fight?" Kaiba's interest was piqued, and he strode towards the water, watching Joey give an oncoming wave a magnificent kick. "With…spears, right?"

"Yep! Got any?" Joey asked, and Kaiba nodded stiffly, walking back into the beach house.

Tristan's mouth fell open as he watched the CEO walk away.

"You're kidding me. You're telling me this guy has _spears_ …on _land_?!" he cried incredulously, giving the sand a violent kick.

 _He's Undercover, whaddya expect_? Joey shrugged nonchalantly, rising out of the water and shaking himself off. _If you ask, he probably has it. Scary but cool, right?_

"Just plain scary," Tristan muttered, gazing out over the horizon and squinting in the harsh sunlight. He had only just met Seto Kaiba this morning, and he was already learning so many terrifying facts about him.

Seto Kaiba had the ability to block thoughts.  
He lived in a giant castle with many servants who did his bidding.  
He had a second house on the property, one which he and Joey had currently moved into, and it had been stocked with food and entertainment prior to their arrival. Everything Kaiba did was methodical.  
He had also somehow managed to turn slugs into a liquid and administer them via syringe.

 _What else about this guy am I gonna find out today?_ Tristan growled to himself, giving the sand another vicious kick.

Kaiba hefted both spears in his hands as he made his back down to the water's edge, and Joey raced at him excitedly, prying one away from him, gazing at it in awe.

"You _are_ one of our Warriors! I knew it!" Joey cried, turning the spear over and staring at the triangular royal insignia at the base. "…Wait. This has _Mahad's_ seal on it."

"What?!" Tristan yelled, sprinting over the sand towards them to also take a look. He grabbed the spear from Joey and sure enough, Mahad's name was engraved underneath the royal insignia.

"Did you…win this in a fight with him?" Tristan choked, feeling the metal burn his palms the tighter he squeezed it. "What about the other spear? Is this your personal weapon? Or do you prefer using the Trophy Spear you won from Mahad?"

He snatched the other weapon out of Kaiba's grasp with force and inspected it, his blood running cold when he noticed it was numbered and branded with a Hemisphere seal.

"This came from our guards!" Tristan cried, and Joey stood very still, his mind churning with confusion.

"You liar!" Joey growled at Kaiba. "You said you didn't have access to a Moon Pool! Otherwise, how would you have gotten one of our Hemisphere spears?"

"Atem left it here," Kaiba said defensively, crossing his arms. "And the other one was thrown at me. I don't know how you people fight with these things."

Tristan blinked, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him. "What?"

"I have no clue," Kaiba enunciated, "How you fight—"

"He's lying, Tristan. Let's go," Joey said, giving Kaiba a cold look before stalking off down the beach.

Tristan stayed where he was, and he slowly handed Mahad's spear to Kaiba, and he kept the other one, backing away several feet down the beach.

"Throw it at me!" Tristan yelled, thinking he would test Kaiba anyway. "Aim for my chest like you want to kill me."

Kaiba curled his fingers around the spear, feeling barbaric.

 _That's the last thing I want to do!_ Kaiba replied, rolling his eyes. _Let's start by throwing this at something that isn't alive._

"Nope!" Tristan tapped his chest and raised his spear in defense. "Live targets only. That's how you get serious. Besides, I bet you can't even hit me from over there."

 _Fine_ , Kaiba snarled. He planted his feet apart and deftly hurled the spear at Tristan without a second thought, making sure he aimed a bit higher to account for the gravity taking the point downwards.

Tristan's grin slid off his face the moment he saw the sharp point zooming towards him at full speed. He yelped, dodging it hastily and slipping clumsily in the sand.

Kaiba let out a bark of amused laughter, his confidence returning in a rush. That had been too easy.

Joey stood silently knee-deep in the ocean water, rocked by another oncoming wave as he watched the scene before him.

That…had been the most practiced and intentional throw he had ever seen.

 _Do it again, but farther away!_ Joey challenged, suppressing a shiver. _My turn. Tristan, move._

"He was actually trying to kill me!" Tristan cried, clambering over the wet sand and letting Joey stand in his place, watching his blond friend take a few more long steps backwards and wave his arms at Kaiba.

"Alright rich boy, hit me from here!" Joey yelled, raising his fists tauntingly. "Yer weak!"

Sighing, Kaiba walked to pick up the spear from the sand and returned to his original position, carefully analyzing the distance.

A throw from above would not work. He didn't have enough momentum to carry it through the entire distance of the beach. He would have to skim the spear horizontally somehow…almost as if it was an arrow.

 _Fine, this is a bit challenging_ , Kaiba muttered to himself, weighing the spear in his hand and wondering if he would make it. Did fish powers include enhanced strength? Time to find out.

Kaiba stuck his foot out and drew a line in the sand. Then, he backed up several paces, rocking back and forth on his toes and controlling his breaths. Steady…Steady….  
His body was the bow, and the spear was the arrow.  
Plain and simple.

Tensing, Kaiba raced across the beach, keeping his weight on his toes as he leaned into the throw, crouching and sliding across the sand. He released the spear from his hand at the last moment and let the entire weight from his slide carry the weapon forward through the air.

Tristan froze on the spot, watching Kaiba's feet bring up a magnificent spray of sand as he glided effortlessly into the throw.

The spear shot through the air at a terrifying speed, aiming to strike Joey's thigh. Cursing, Joey threw himself to the side, his elbows burning as he skidded painfully in the dry sand.

His heart nearly exploded out of his chest as he stared where the spear had landed…right where he'd been standing.

"Oh…my fucking god," Tristan breathed, rushing over to help Joey to his feet and glaring angrily at Kaiba. "You _are_ a fucking liar!"

"That was the first time I've thrown anything!" Kaiba fumed, growing tired of the baseless accusations. "It's fucking science!

He watched in frustration as the two men ignored him, conversing privately in their thoughts with their heads together, so he strode across the beach to pick up both spears before heading back inside to stow them away safely.

Why was he trying so hard to prove himself anyway?  
It wasn't like he had anything to gain from it.

Sighing heavily, Kaiba gazed up at the sky, watching a few clear wisps of clouds pass by overhead.

What was Atem doing now?

* * *

Atem cracked his eyes open. His body felt like it weighed a thousand tons.

He glanced around, realizing he was housed in a healing pod in the infirmary, and he closed his eyes tightly again when he heard voices coming his way.

It sounded like Mana, Mahad, and Solomon.

"He was just fine a moment ago! I didn't know he was going to do that!" It was Mana's tearful cry.

"I was supposed to be with him," Mahad's gruff voice sounded concerned. "It was a good thing I caught him when I did."

"Clearly, the punishment wasn't a good idea. Isis was right." Solomon's sorrowful whisper. "What's to stop him from doing it again? My boy will kill himself at this rate!"

"Warriors from shore will be returning soon," Mahad said quietly. "I have to see what they know about Seto Kaiba before we break any pacts."

Atem opened his eyes, his heart racing with excitement at Mahad's words. Did this mean they would consider lifting his punishment so he could see Kaiba?

Keeping very still, Atem saw the shadow of the nurse hovering above him in the pod, and she spoke quietly, dismissing everyone. "Please leave, and let the king rest now. He is conscious but still needs two moon cycles to recover from the blood loss."

"Two moons?" Solomon asked fearfully, pointing his staff at Atem encased in the cloudy, green cocoon. "How injured was he?"

Mahad shook his head sadly and swam towards the door, his shoulders heavy with guilt as he answered the old man.

"He was bleeding from ten self-inflicted scratches down his neck when the pact activated at the surface."

Mana gasped and pressed her hands to her mouth, dashing out of the infirmary, biting back tears of sorrow and guilt.

Solomon watched her go and shook his head sadly, his white hair floating around his face as he did so.

"Watch him closely," he said gruffly, before following Mana out the doors, and Mahad swam after him glumly, leaving nothing but a stiff, horrible silence inside the infirmary.

Atem drifted off into a medicated slumber, fully aware of how much pain he was causing his entire family. Perhaps this was the way to do it. He would just make everyone worry, and they would have to let him surface to see Kaiba sometime this century.

Pleased with this plan, he let the drowsiness overtake him and fell asleep, wishing for romantic dreams with his beloved human.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Wow atem is turning into a desperate asshole, worrying everyone around him.

Kaiba is super good at all things merman! He's having trouble being human!

 **PERSONAL UPDATES!**

1\. i am aiming to finish writing an original novel (uwuwupuowuouw) by the end of this year! so please consider following me on tumblr (uglifish) / insta (prettiugli) / twitter (prettiguli) or discord (ugli#7509) to follow the progress! I will be learning lots on the way and i think i should share what i learn because there are so many ways to go about doing this. As always, i appreciate your support and hope that you'll join me on this journey of growth..but fr im so scared tho help please lmao

2\. i am hosting a 'write this in your own style' challenge for VALENTINE'S DAY 2020! please click here to see the prompt!

giant thanks to taedae for the sharp edits :D

bigg big hugs,  
Ugli


	32. Chapter 32

Joey lay wide awake in bed, listening actively to the sounds outside, waiting for the entire property to fall asleep. There was a soft rustling coming from the manservant Isono's quarters at long last, indicating that it was exactly 2AM.

Holding his breath, Joey stared up into the darkness at the high ceiling, counting his heartbeats steadily. There was so much to learn over the past few months during his stay on Kaiba's guest property, and the amount of information he had to keep track of was annoying.  
Tristan wasn't helpful.  
He would knock out at 9PM sharp and snore loudly until 7AM.

Sighing, Joey thunked his head back onto his pillow, wondering if he should try waking Kaiba. Something was tugging at his chest, calling him back to the ocean, and he wanted to explore this feeling, but sneaking out at night was impossible because there was a spiked metal gate…and cameras.

Sitting up quickly, he threw the covers off himself and tiptoed into Tristan's room, shaking his friend awake roughly.

"Hey…" Joey whispered, giving his friend another shake. "Wake up. I need to go out. Come with me."

Tristan rolled over groggily, pressing the pillow sleepily to his face before he lifted his head to give Joey a glare in the dark.

"What…dude? What time is it?"

"Two-ish," Joey answered aggressively, yanking the covers off his friend and trying to drag him out of bed by the arm. "C'mon. I feel like something or someone is Calling me. I gotta act on it now."

Tristan rolled over and continued snoring, his legs splayed out ungracefully across the white sheets, and Joey let out an angry huff.  
Fine. He would go by himself…but he should try asking Kaiba to come with him, just to be safe.

Rushing through the house, Joey stepped hastily into his shoes and ran out the door, across the thick grass and towards the glowing fountain in the middle of the paved road on the property.

The Kaiba mansion towered in his view, its white pillars alight with warm lights built into the ground, making the house seem almost temple-like.

Panting, Joey raced up the marble steps and rattled the door handles furiously, shouting at Kaiba in his mind.

 _KAIBA! Lemme in! Wake up!_

Mokuba jerked awake, terrified. Someone was shouting really close to his ear, and it sounded like that dolt, Joey.

No, on second thought— _KAIBAAAAAAAA LEMME IN YOU BASTARD_ —the shouting was in his head.

Clapping his hands over his ears, Mokuba jumped out of bed to answer the door, hating Seto and his telepathic discovery.

Upstairs, Kaiba's eyes shot open and his heart raced frantically in his chest as he lay very still, listening to Joey throwing a tantrum on his front doorstep.

Furious, he tossed the covers off himself and raced down the grand staircase, nearly running into Mokuba, who was already thundering his way down, shouting angrily at Joey.

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Joey took a step back as the door swung open and Mokuba Kaiba towered over him with murder in his dark grey eyes.

"What _the fuck_ is your problem?" Mokuba spat, feeling Seto approaching him from behind, but he aimed to give Joey a piece of his mind. "People are sleeping. _Some people_ have this _thing_ called _final exams!_ Not everyone can just _drop out of school_ like it's no big deal, so fuck off!"

Heaving with anger, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder and Mokuba spun around to glare at Seto too.

"…You suck," Mokuba hissed, brushing past his older brother and storming back up the stairs.

Kaiba watched him go, feeling slightly apologetic, and he turned his attention back to the blond merman on his doorstep, but before he could even speak, Joey barreled into an incoherent rant.

"Something or someone is Calling me," Joey said fervently, wringing his hands and doing a strange shuffling dance on his feet as he grew antsier. "I've been feeling it every night, but tonight is when I've got it the worst, man, you gotta come with me."

"I have so many questions," Kaiba said seriously, feeling a rare spark of excitement. He was about to learn something new again tonight!

"Yeah, well, questions later," Joey replied, pointing in the direction of Kaiba's garage. "Drive us to my spot. Ya' know, the place with my hidey-hole?"

Kaiba did not hesitate for a moment. He spun around eagerly and dashed through the house to fetch the car keys, his heart thumping excitedly in his ears.

Someone was calling Joey? Was it too much to hope that …it could be Atem?

 _I need to learn how to make these 'calls',_ Kaiba thought delightedly to himself as he snatched a random set of keys off a hook and strode down the long hallway towards the garage.  
 _Wait…_ Kaiba paused mid-step, and he gripped the keys tightly in his fist while his mind raced. _If it is Atem, I need to bring him his ring!  
_  
Turning hastily on his heel, Kaiba dashed back up the grand staircase, intent on grabbing the gift he'd made for Atem several months ago.  
The merking would be happy to know he had had a ring made, and his pretty face was going to light up when he saw how beautiful the design was.  
Atem would slip it gracefully on his forefinger with a smile, and they would kiss.  
It would look stunning on his tanned finger. _  
_Tonight was going to be amazing.

* * *

Mai swam in slow circles near the water's surface, singing wonderfully sweet notes in a husky tone as Anzu floated a couple yards away with her arms crossed anxiously.

"He isn't coming, Mai. Let's give it a break." Anzu sighed, leaning against the rock and gazing up at the distorted moon rippling above her head.

"Nope, I'm pretty sure I've got his resonance this time," Mai said confidently, flipping her tail slowly up and down as she took a deep breath and continued to sing.

Anzu frowned and bobbed gently in the water as an oncoming wave washed towards them.

This was the twelfth night in a row they had tried to contact Joey to no avail.

Several nights ago, they had accidentally reeled in a man from another colony who was passing by, and it had taken a few insults and hissing to get him to leave them alone.  
This was starting to become dangerous.  
If Joey didn't show up soon, they would have to give up.

Anzu watched Mai continue to sing, and she shook her head sadly. If the mer-society didn't forbid contact with humans, this would be easier for everyone.

Closing her eyes tiredly, Anzu listened intently, feeling the cliff vibrate gently behind her, followed by the soft rumble of a car's engine. Excited, she kicked off the rock and grabbed Mai by the arm. "I hear something!"

Mai stopped singing and bobbed gently up and down in the water, gazing up at the dark indigo sky distorted by the waves above them, also perking up her ears to listen.

Sure enough, there was the low roar of a sports car, and Mai shook her head.

"No, wrong type of car," Mai said fervently. "There's no way any Warrior can afford that kind of vehicle."

"How would you even know?!" Anzu cried, exasperated. "Cars can be rented!"

"Renting is also expensive," Mai argued. "Do you hear that? It sounds _expensive_."

"Yeah, I know, you don't have to tell me," Anzu grumbled, eyeing the surface fearfully. "They'll pass by soon. Let's wait…"

On the road above, Joey froze in his seat and Kaiba noticed this change immediately, so he pulled over on the side of the road and observed the blond carefully.

"What is it?" Kaiba asked breathlessly. He was itching with excitement.

"…Nothin'…it stopped," Joey said faintly, and almost as if he was in a trance, he stepped out of the car and walked slowly to the edge of the road, peering down into the dark waters below.

Something in the air was causing his skin to tingle and his heart to beat faster.

"Who's there?" Joey shouted loudly, and underneath the water, Mai and Anzu stifled simultaneous gasps of happiness as they gripped each other tightly and celebrated with a tight hug.

"We did it!" Anzu gasped, immensely relieved. "I-I mean, _you_ did it, Mai. You're amazing!"

"I know," Mai said loftily, and she sent Joey a quick response in her thoughts. _We're down here!_

Kaiba sat very still in his seat, adrenaline coursing through his veins when he heard a woman's voice echo clearly in his mind.

What the…fuck?! Was it another delivery mermaid?  
The voice didn't sound like the girl with big boobs….  
She had also said 'we'.  
That meant she wasn't alone…!

"Get in the car!" Kaiba yelled, revving the engine at Joey. "We're going to park at the bottom this time. Let's not get arrested climbing the cliff, dammit."

Joey hesitated for a moment before he nodded and hopped back into the passenger seat, his eyes glassy and his cheeks flushed.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kaiba growled, pulling away from the side of the road and speeding down the curved highway, searching for the small indent that led to the parking lot.

"It's….my goddess," Joey breathed, leaning back in the seat with a nervous laugh. "She's a beautiful, strong-willed maiden. Oh my god…Atem is a real stand-up guy! He freed her! Wow…"

"Just say she's your girlfriend," Kaiba hissed, trying not to steer the car off the cliff as an ugly monster of jealousy reared its head.  
Atem had sent Joey his "goddess".  
Great.

Underneath the water, Mai hovered by Joey's makeshift hole in the cliff, poking at it with a manicured finger while Anzu swam in anxious circles behind her.

"He wasn't alone," Anzu whispered, wringing her hands. "Was that his pod mate?"

"Probably," Mai replied, very unconcerned. "Didn't you hear him say that part about being arrested? They must've gotten into trouble together."

"But something _is_ weird, right?" Anzu prompted, her heart racing uncontrollably at the thought of seeing another human, even if it was a merman. "Their car sounded strange, and why was the other man shouting? He sounded angry—"

"Shhh…listen!" Mai's eyes darted left and right as she swatted her hand at Anzu. "They're coming."

The crunching of footsteps echoed from afar, and Anzu swam over to stick closely beside Mai, listening to an unfamiliar voice ask a barrage of questions.

 _"Where was she freed from? And why would Atem need to free her? You're telling me you guys have a jail? Don't ignore me. Fucking answer me, or I'll leave you here to freeze tonight."_

Joey threw Kaiba a furious look over his shoulder but continued to say nothing. For an Undercover merman, Kaiba sure knew how to keep up the human act in the presence of other merpeople.

Stepping towards the water, Joey glanced out over the horizon and listened intently, hearing nothing but the soft crashing of the waves against the rocks beside him.

Kaiba folded his arms and stood irritably behind Joey, watching him climb atop a rock and stick his hand in the water, waving it energetically.

Was that…how to signal to other merpeople? Kaiba kept his eyes nailed to Joey and his surroundings, not wanting to miss a precious second of information.

A pale arm shot out of the water and grabbed onto Joey's arm, followed by a beautiful glowing head of blonde hair, cascading down a pair of slender shoulders. A woman.

Kaiba's breath caught painfully in his throat when the woman turned and looked right at him, her violet eyes sending an electric shock through his entire body, rooting him to the spot.

She was…beautiful, unearthly…. looking very much like a goddess with golden hair, framing a set of plump cheekbones blushed a pretty pink, a slender nose, and soft, bowed lips which were open in surprise as she gazed right at him.

"Oh…my…ANZU!" Mai breathed, waving her arm underwater energetically. "Guess who _the fuck_ I am looking at right now! Come up here and see for yourself!"

Thrown off by her sudden vulgarity, Kaiba snapped out of it and stalked towards the water's edge, trying to read her thoughts as he demanded, "Where's Atem?"

"Hello to you too, Mr. Kaiba," Mai said demurely, flipping her hair over her shoulder to reveal one of her breasts. Joey's mouth dropped open as he glanced fervently between Kaiba and Mai, his resentment for Kaiba rising.

Kaiba tucked his tongue between his teeth and bit down on it, his eyes burning as he steadily ignored her perfect boob gleaming in the moonlight, her nipple hovering just above the water.

Very pretty, but he wasn't interested.  
She knew who he was, which meant…she was connected to Atem.

"Ugh, I'm offended." Mai rolled her eyes and dove down, grabbing Anzu by the arm and dragging her up to the surface, hissing in her ear. " _It's Seto Kaiba."_

Anzu's eyes widened as she struggled against Mai's grip, shaking her head frantically as she tried to stay underwater. "No…No! I don't want to!"

Kaiba watched with bated breath as the blonde mermaid dragged her friend above water with several rough splashes, and Joey climbed off the rock to glare at him heatedly.

"Yo, how is that she pays attention to you, but not to me?" Joey fumed, curling his fists at his sides as he resisted the urge to punch Kaiba in his smug, handsome face. "Has she met you before?"

Anzu bobbed her head half above water, blinking incredulously at the two humans standing nose-to-nose on shore.

Joey was glaring at a tall man, who looked extremely refined, dressed in a simple black turtleneck and pair of dark slacks. His skin was so pale, he seemed to glow in the moonlight, and his features were sharp, foxy, looking very much like a Pure merman from the stuck-up colonies in the Northern Hemisphere.

 _Holy shit!_ Anzu cried frantically, forgetting to keep her thoughts to herself. _He looks different as an adult._

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Kaiba asked shrewdly, ignoring Joey completely and aiming his gaze at the head bobbing in the water behind Mai's pale shoulder. "That would mean you would've seen me as a kid."

"Only in that picture you have though, right?" Joey asked frantically, dashing to the water's edge again to gaze lovingly at Mai. "Ya never seen this jerk on land otherwise, right?"

"And _how_ would you have managed to obtain a photo of me as a child?" Kaiba fumed, his insides burning with a million unanswered questions.

"Come on, we read magazines too," Mai said, pouting prettily at Kaiba, aiming to throw him off with her looks. "Stop sounding so angry. We're here to help you. Our poor king is crying because of you."

"Yes, because everything is my fault," Kaiba replied viciously, shoving his hand in his pocket and having second thoughts about giving these mermaids the ring he had prepared for Atem. "What's the message?"

"Ha!" Mai threw her head back and laughed haughtily while Anzu finally found some courage to raise the rest of her face out of the water. "He thinks we're his fucking messengers, Zuzu, let's leave. This guy is full of it."

"I know right?" Joey added furiously, nodding. "I don't know what Atem sees in this guy."

Kaiba's heart skipped a frantic beat, realizing he had been made infamous among Atem's…friends? Were these people his friends? Shit.  
Time to turn on the charm.

"Wait…" Kaiba swallowed his pride and managed a bright smile. "You know I'm just excited to hear from him."

All three mer-people stared blankly at him with suspicious frowns painted across their faces. Kaiba took this chance to stride forward and sit on a wet rock nearest to Mai's shoulder.

"I even got him something," he said earnestly, making sure to keep his mind clear of angry thoughts. "Can you give it to him? He asked me to get him a diamond ring, so I had one specifically made for him."

Both mermaids gaped at him and Anzu pressed her hands to her mouth, meeting Kaiba's gaze and feeling herself falter slightly. He was…so incredibly handsome. She could see why Atem was so charmed. His eyes were soft at the corners, and his boyish smile glinted wonderfully under the silver moonlight.

"Right…because you're so in love with him," Mai said cautiously, eyeing Kaiba's body language with rising apprehension. This guy was an actor, right? He had to be.  
The way he had switched tones and personality was eerie.  
Now, he was sitting almost too poised on the rock before them, with his legs crossed, one hand on his pocket and the other outstretched in a friendly gesture with the most charming smile.

This man reeked of danger.

"Hey…I'm still here," Joey said loudly, waving at the two mermaids, hating how both of their heads had turned while they gave Kaiba their full attention. "Mai…I love you. Go out with me."

"Shut up," Mai replied carelessly, her eyes nailed to Kaiba's hands, where sharp, pointed claws were growing from his delicate fingertips. "Hey, seen a nail file recently, Kaiba?"

Kaiba's lips curved upwards into a smile, and he gracefully gave her the middle finger.  
Mer-people were so fucking uptight about keeping their nails trimmed.  
Why was it such a huge fucking deal?

"Give the ring to me and I'll pass it to him," Anzu rolled her eyes and swam forward boldly to the rock where the CEO was sitting. "We need to go back before someone notices we're missing. Do you know how long we waited here for you?"

"How do I know you won't take it and wear it yourself?" Kaiba asked, tightening his grip around the ring case in his pocket, his distrust rising. "Who are you to him?"

"Who are _you_ to him?" Anzu fumed, her anger flaring dangerously. "If you understand our ways, then you should know you put him in a lot of danger! You hurt him!"

Joey and Mai watched this argument silently, deciding not to step in.

"I did no such thing," Kaiba hissed in response, deciding it was a bad idea after all. "If you think I hurt him, then you don't know how he really feels about me. I _helped_ him."

Mai raised her hands up out of the water, glaring at Kaiba. "Stop fighting! We are here to deliver a message, and it's 'I miss you' alright? Now give us the ring so we can leave without being seen."

"But—th-that's it?" Joey whispered, leaning over the rock on his stomach and holding his hand out towards Mai, looking depressed. "I think about you all the time, Mai. Look, I'm human now."

"Maybe I'll come back for you if I get bored," Mai answered playfully, giving Joey a small smile before she turned back to Kaiba with a glare. "Give us the ring."

"You can't wear it…or it'll be tainted," Kaiba said, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth as he kept his hand stiffly in his pocket. "I wanted to give it to him personally, not to you two—"

"Let's drown him," Anzu glowered, rising higher out of the water, not caring if Kaiba could see her breasts. "I officially think you are a jerk, and Atem deserves better than you. Why don't you trust us?"

"Because I don't know you!" Kaiba replied, exasperated. What if these mermaids sold or pawned the ring off to someone else? It would never reach Atem.

"I hear you. I promise we won't steal it or wear it," Mai said in monotone, holding her palm out of the water. "Last chance. Give it to me. It's now or never."

Kaiba fought with himself for a moment before he slipped it out of his pocket and held it hesitantly out over the water towards Mai, his knuckles white over the dark blue box.

"You can't open it," Kaiba said as the ring was pried out of his hand with wet fingers, and both women crowded around the box with gleaming eyes.

"Why not?" Anzu demanded, ignoring Joey waving from the rock beside them. "How will you know Atem will like it? I'll bet you didn't know that _we_ were the ones who told him to ask you for a ring. You need our approval first. Also, you didn't give him the lipstick he asked for. That was for me."

"What she said," Mai sang playfully, waving the box over her head.

Shocked speechless, Kaiba ground his teeth together furiously. This was _so_ fucking high school, but fine, if he needed Atem's girlfriends to approve of the ring first….

"I wanna see it too," Joey said glumly from his rock, hanging his head and trailing his fingers in the ocean water, hating how he was being ignored.

Mai flipped the box open and her eyes watered with glee, feeling Anzu's breath tickling her ear as she gasped and laughed delightedly.

"Lemme see it too!" Joey cried, and he was viciously ignored again.

"Wow, Mr. Kaiba, you know how to deliver," Mai said, puffing her chest out happily, aiming the box towards Kaiba, glowing with approval. "This is the most unique ring I've ever seen, and this is coming from a girl who gets quite a lot of these."

Kaiba said nothing, keeping his jaw clenched tightly shut. Great.  
The girls approved, right? Could they get it to Atem now?  
Less talking, more swimming.

"That must've cost…a fortune," Anzu squeaked, feeling her face heat up as she eyed the delicate golden band encircling the tear-dropped shaped diamond. "And…why…does it look like a tear? Who cried it?"

Kaiba felt a searing hot knife stab through his chest and he stayed silent. Caught.

Joey perked up after hearing Kaiba's passing thought and he strained his arms towards Mai, calling out to her, "What? Lemme see!" Part of him wanted to jump in the water with the girls, but he knew Kaiba would yell at him for getting the car wet with his clothes.

"This is a tear if I've ever seen one," Mai said firmly, swimming over towards Joey and showing him the ring in the box.

Joey swallowed thinly, staring at the glowing gem inside the padded cushion before it was snapped shut and tucked safely inside Mai's seaweed pouch around her waist.

"Who the fuck else do you think cried it?" Kaiba asked heatedly, finally finding his voice while his cheeks burned with fury and embarrassment. "Can you deliver it now?"

"Y-You cried it…?" Anzu breathed, her gaze roaming rapidly over Kaiba's entire form. No…way! No fucking way! How the hell did Atem ever think that this guy was human? He was clearly a merman—a very Pure one at that.

"Yes, we can," Mai answered sweetly, reaching behind her to grab Anzu painfully by the arm. She floated away from the rock, giving Joey a knowing look. "I'll be back in a couple of moons. Listen for my call, Joey!"

"I-I will!" Joey cried, almost slipping face-first into the water as he lunged forward to wave happily at her. "Come back soon, okay?"

Kaiba blinked rapidly, sitting very still on the rock as he watched the two women disappear just as quickly as they had appeared, leaving nothing but a shallow ripple of water behind them that was quickly dispersed by an oncoming wave.

"…Wait…" he breathed. His chest was still bursting with questions, so he decided to round on Joey instead. "How do you get her calls? How do you make calls? Tell her to call me instead."

Joey stared sullenly at him., his body language stony with resentment. "I'm not playin' this game with you, Kaiba," he said heavily, getting off the rock and walking back along the beach. "They're gone and can't hear you pretendin' to know nothin'."

"What?" Kaiba raged, leaping off the rock and catching up beside Joey, wondering why he was being treated so coldly. "I really don't know. Tell me. How does she make calls?"

Joey stalked further along the beach, his irritation rising higher the more Kaiba continued to rain questions down on him.

"…And you didn't tell me about mermaid jail," Kaiba added, stepping over piles of dried seaweed and driftwood as he struggled to keep up with Joey's unusually fast pace. "Hey…stop walking so fast. What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Stop it. Just fucking…stop, alright?" Joey spun around, having had enough of Kaiba's act. "We get it. You're high and mighty. You want to play disgustin' games with Atem by collecting jars of his semen and making Mahad deliver dead scales to your private rock. You've proved your point already, alright? Leave me alone."

Kaiba stood numbly on the beach, watching Joey walk farther and farther away from him, and his confusion rose to an all-time high.

"What's…the point I'm trying to make?" Kaiba breathed, realizing Joey was too far away to hear him. "HEY! What do you think my point is?!"

"That you're better than us!" Joey shouted back across the beach, his heart thundering loudly in his ears. "You've lost your way, so now all you wanna do is mess with us because you're angry!"

"I don't know what any of that means!" Kaiba yelled back, his blood boiling. "I don't even know what ' _losing my way'_ means! I repeat it because I heard it once—one time, from the old geezer I stole this tattoo from!"

"Is that your story?" Joey snorted, turning and continuing on his way back to the car. "I've heard better."

Astounded, Kaiba took a moment to gather himself before he raced after Joey and caught up to him as he was walking up the sandy wooden steps leading to the parking lot. He grabbed onto Joey's arm, feeling the merman yank his hand back furiously and stalk towards the car.

"Hey! I'm flattered," Kaiba called, rushing to Joey's side again, straining to catch his eye. "Really. You think I'm a fish? Come on. I have proof I've been human all my life, even as a kid! Do you want to see photos, or videos? I have them."

"No," Joey replied dully, leaning against the car and folding his arms tightly across his chest. "You're gonna show me doctored videos. And yeah, we know you were sent on land as a hatchling, so of course you're 'human' in those videos."

Kaiba stared at Joey, processing his words the best he could.

"As a hatchling?" Kaiba repeated incredulously, happy with the discovery of new information once again. "How old would I have been then? Why don't I remember anything about mermaids and shit?"

"Dunno, don't care." Joey shrugged heavily, his gaze lingering over the car's steering wheel. "Drive us home."

"No, not until we figure this out!" Kaiba insisted, his cheeks burning with fury again as he realized Joey was really, truly convinced he was a fish. "Please, help me. I'm fucking begging here."

There was a long, tense silence before Joey finally met his gaze and gave him a steely look.

"Trauma," Joey said simply, shifting his stance against the car's body. "It's traumatizing for kids when they surface, so that's why King Solomon banned it. You probably blocked it all out. You don't know nothin' about us underwater cuz you went to a human school up here. You grew up like a human. You are…human. Do you remember a mom or a dad? Or did they get taken away from you?"

"Mokuba and I are orphans," Kaiba said quietly, slowly growing numb. "But I'm human. There's no way I'm a fucking fish."

"Yeah?" Joey scratched his head, frowning. "How'd you lose your human mom and dad then? Can't remember that either, can you? Can you remember anything? What about your Assignment?"

Kaib tucked his tongue in his cheek and said nothing, lowering his head slowly, his mind racing anxiously. This was fucking bullshit. Joey was implying there was more to his past, but it wasn't that complicated.  
His parents had died in a house fire. Then, with a tearful Mokuba in tow, they were dropped off at the doorstep of the nearest orphanage, where he had managed to rope Gozaburo into adopting them both by winning a game of chess against him.

"I'll bet you right now that you can't find any info on your dead parents" Joey said sadly, kicking the dirt with his shoe. "With all your fancy technology and stuff…you've just accepted that they died. Did you see their bodies? Were you there? Did you have a funeral? You were just re-homed over and over again, or—"

"Fine, you're right," Kaiba said stiffly, mirroring Joey's stance with his arms folded. "I don't remember my parent's death due to trauma, but I age like a human. Explain that, genius."

Joey gave him a dull-eyed look. "You've never seen a Moon Pool, of course ya' gonna age. The second you turn human, you'll age a bit faster than normal, but once you go back, you're fine. The side-effects are worse when you're a kid."

"Then, lead me to a Moon Pool," Kaiba said triumphantly, quite satisfied that he'd manage to steer the conversation into a full circle.  
He needed to find a Chrysalis.  
Had he not made himself abundantly clear?

"Annnnd we are done talkin'," Joey said sadly, turning around to hop into the roofless car. He slid into the seat and buckled in, giving Kaiba a sympathetic smile. "Let's go."

Kaiba set his mouth in a tight line and circled the vehicle, yanking the door open and tucking himself into the driver's seat, his trepidation rising as he stuck the key in the engine.

"You really think I'm a fish?" Kaiba asked, giving Joey a long look, and Joey nodded tightly.

"You act like someone who's been through a lot of trauma," Joey answered plainly, looking away to avoid Kaiba's burning gaze. "And your story sounds like what they tell us about Hatchlings sent to shore. Memory of parents erased, memory of life underwater erased, and you behave Lost, even as a human."

Kaiba started the engine with a roar and peeled out of the parking lot with Joey's words echoing in his ears.  
No fucking way.  
He just didn't want to remember the way his parents had died.  
The trauma Joey was sensing was entirely Gozaburo's fault, he was pretty sure.  
There was no fucking way he was a fish.  
That would mean Mokuba was a fish too.

"...And that's why you're dangerous to us," Joey continued dully. "When you discovered us, you got angry, and felt like Mer-people abandoned you on land. You think we don't want you back, but it's the pact that makes it hard for me to help you, okay bud?"

Kaiba gripped the wheel tightly, not sure which he hated more: the wild story Joey was spinning about his past, or the fact that he'd just casually called him 'bud'.

"I'm human, and I just want to get closer to Atem," Kaiba said, growing tired of repeating his intentions. "I'm injecting dead scales into my bloodstream. That would explain the freaky nails."

"Uh huh," Joey yawned, settling down comfortably into the seat and closing his eyes. "Why'ja pick Atem? Why him? You can Mate with anyone the fuck else. You're considered 'cool' and 'hot' by everyone in the world. Did you see the way Mai was ignorin' me? That was your fault."

"Because Atem is fucking beautiful and amazing," Kaiba answered stiffly, pulling the car onto the freeway, feeling the wind whip his hair around his face as they sped up. "I could go on. No human can compare."

"You feel that way cuz _you_ _can't help yourself_ ," Joey replied matter-of-factly. "Other humans can easily move on, especially if another pretty human comes by. Why don't ya do that?"

Kaiba hissed in annoyance, gripping the wheel even tighter as he answered, " _because I can't!_ Atem is the only one. _"_

"Yep, see?" Joey tucked his hands behind his head and leaned back further into the car seat. "You can't help it. He's the first mer-person you saw, you basically imprinted onto him."

"Are you fucking shitting me?" Kaiba growled, feeling the car waver as his grip slipped dangerously on the wheel. "Are mer-people like _birds_? You lay eggs and imprint on people?"

"Now you're insultin' us because you're mad…again," Joey said, opening one eye and giving Kaiba a reproachful look. "Do ya' sense a pattern?"

Kaiba swallowed thinly and said nothing, aiming to keep his eyes on the road to drive them safely back to the mansion. He was angry because he was always hitting dead ends. It had nothing to do with jealousy or anger towards mer-people and their ways of life.

He didn't want to become a fish, but he had accepted that fish-like symptoms were going to be a side-effect of his actions while he hunted for a way to get closer to Atem.

They sat together in silence as Kaiba pulled the car off the highway and down several narrow streets.

Joey kept shooting Kaiba nervous glances. The tense silence was making him very uncomfortable. It was just further proof that Kaiba was very good at concealing his thoughts.

Kaiba eased the car off the main road and down the private street leading to his property, carefully constructing his next request in his mind before he spoke aloud.

"Is there any way you can help me? Please."

Joey frowned guiltily, ruffling his hair nervously as he watched the spiked black gate slide open, letting them in.

"I'm not sure…" Joey faltered, wondering if it was really within his means to help Kaiba. "I'll talk about it with Tristan."

"No, don't bring him into this," Kaiba hissed, stamping furiously on the brake as the car lurched into an empty parking space in his wide garage. "The less people who know, the safer we'll both be. Give me information. Tell me everything you know. Show me images, the way you did before by grabbing my hand. I'll take anything you can give me."

Joey leaned back into the seat and slowly unbuckled, blinking rapidly while his mind raced.

S-Sure…there was nothing in his pact that said he couldn't talk about home or his training.

Besides, Kaiba had saved his life on that beach many moons ago. Giving him information about life underwater was the least he could do. Atem trusted and loved this man, so…it should be safe to discuss anything, as long as he didn't reveal the location of the Moon Pool.

"Y-Yeah, I guess I can do that," Joey said quietly, and he heard Kaiba let out a relieved sigh beside him and smile genuinely at him for the first time.

"Thank you," Kaiba said with emphasis, his heart racing with a mixture of excitement and gratitude. "I really mean it. Thank you. In return, I'll give you anything within my means."

Joey nodded silently, his voice caught in his throat before he managed to speak after a moment. "...You already gave us a really nice place to live. We should be thankin' you."

Kaiba rested a hand on Joey's shoulder, giving him a warm squeeze.

"No. Thank _you_. Thank you for coming to find me _,_ " he said, and he got out of the car hastily before he said any more sappy shit to the blond merman.

Joey sat stiffly in the seat, watching Kaiba's tall figure disappear inside the house, leaving him alone in the semi-darkness.  
Dang. This was going to be hard.

* * *

Atem swam in a lazy circle above the play structure with the cries of children playing ringing in his ears while he tried to ease his boredom. A couple of guards hovered behind him a few feet away, at full attention.

He wasn't allowed to be alone anymore since he had almost killed himself swimming to the surface in an attempt to see Kaiba.  
Security around him had increased tenfold as a result of his own stupidity, and now, there was always someone watching him. He had even less freedom than before.

When he was eating in the grand hall, Mahad was at his side, trying to make pleasant conversation.

When he was resting, Mana would come into his room sometimes and curl up beside him in bed.

When he was leisurely reading, Solomon was always floating within earshot in the bookshelves nearby, out of sight, but never out of mind.

A makeshift arrow whizzed by his arm, and one of the guards behind him caught it expertly, glaring furiously at the children playing beneath them. A small boy zoomed through the water towards them, yelling loudly at his friends behind him, "you almost hit someone!"

His friends ducked and hid underneath the rotting hull of the ship, waving apologetically at Atem. "Sorry! We're sorry, King Atem!"

Atem waved back halfheartedly, almost wishing the arrow would've hit him.  
It would end this miserable existence he called a life.

Suddenly, out from the corner of his eye, he saw two familiar silhouettes rushing towards him, and he recognized them as Mai and Anzu.

Waving excitedly, he saw the two women stop and pull together fearfully, gazing at the guards on either side of him.

Mai gripped Anzu worriedly as they floated to a stop above a ship's moss-covered mast, eyeing Atem's bodyguards cautiously.

"He's surrounded…let's try another time," Mai said nervously, hiding the ring box behind her back. "We're giving him a human artifact. We both know the royal family has awful policies about receiving artifacts as gifts."

 _Mai! Anzu!_ Atem called loudly in his mind, directing his thoughts towards the girls as he waved anxiously. _Please…save me._

"Uh oh," Anzu muttered, giving Mai a knowing look. "We need to get him away from those guards."

"I'll distract them," Mai said quietly. She passed Anzu the ring box behind their backs before she grimaced and swam forward slowly with a tentative wave.

Atem held his breath nervously as Mai floated towards them with an angelic smile. He could hear both his guards' frantic thoughts behind him.

 _Wow! A golden-haired goddess! She's coming this way!_

 _Holy Suijin! Is this maiden Atem's friend?_

"Atem," Mai said silkily, leaning into his space to hook her arm around the king's elbow, giving the two men behind him a playful wink. "I've missed you! What's been going on?"

"Absolutely nothing." Atem answered cautiously, watching Anzu dart nervously in the water from afar. "How have you been?"

"Lonely!" Mai cried dramatically, throwing an arm over her eyes, making sure her breasts bounced wonderfully in the water as she did so. "Can Anzu and I spend time with you… _alone,_ in your room?"

Atem threw a nervous glance at his guards behind him, slightly amused to see them staring shamelessly at Mai with their jaws hanging half-open.

"Men, I'm headed back to my private quarters," Atem said lightly, giving the guards a wave, and he saw them wave limply back at him. "I will be there until mealtime, so don't bother coming to check on me."

The men nodded mutely, watching the blonde goddess lead Atem away by the arm, her violet tail swishing magnificently behind her smooth, pale back.

"Idiots," Mai muttered, tugging Atem behind the ship's tall mast and gesturing for Anzu to follow. "What if I was a danger to you? They let me have you so easily!"

Atem smiled privately to himself, thankful that Mai's beauty was so enchanting, it usually rendered men speechless.

Anzu caught up and swam ahead of them, brushing past Atem's shoulder without even saying 'hi', and Atem frowned, reaching out to wave at her.

"Anzu…?"

"Not here," Mai whispered in his ear, pulling him so rapidly through the water, his bangs brushed back along his ears. "Let's go somewhere no one can hear us."

They swam through the palace gates without incident and once they were safely back inside Atem's room, the king made sure to lock the door firmly behind himself before he whirled around to face his two friends with a hopeful smile.

"Was Kaiba at the rock?" he asked, busting with longing and excitement to hear news, any news. "Did you see a purple Messenger? He might have gotten lost…"

"Oh, he was there," Anzu declared, sitting gingerly on the edge of Atem's bed, looking pale. "…Atem, I don't know how to say this—"

"Then I _'ll_ tell him, you wimp," Mai said loftily, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Your man isn't human. Sorry. Also, he's a total jerk."

Atem sighed and swam in an anxious circle. "No. He's ingesting dead scales. He is human."

"Is that what he told you?" Anzu whispered, her eyes widening. "Th-That's a lie, Atem. He was with Joey, and he even behaves like an Undercover Warrior!"

"I believe him," Atem said firmly, crossing his arms across his chest with a frown. "Tell me everything! Joey is with him?!"

"Yes, we were all at Joey's Hiding Spot," Mai said quickly, sitting beside Anzu on the bed. "He was arguing with Joey in Merspeak. How can he be human?"

"Enough with the speculation about his species!" Atem hissed, losing his patience. "Seto Kaiba is human, and that is final."

"Alright, alright." Anzu held her hands up defensively, looking panic-stricken. "Then…maybe you can see for yourself. Here. This is a gift from him."

She slipped the ring box out from behind her back and respectfully held it out with both hands for Atem, seeing his angular violet eyes widen with shock and amazement.

"A gift?" Atem cried, diving forward and sweeping the box up for closer inspection. "What is this? So curious. Does it open? What's in it?"

He shook it vigorously, hearing nothing, but the texture of the box was soft…and interesting.

"Open it," Mai said dryly, flopping back onto the bed. "Then maybe you'll believe he's not human."

Atem flipped the tiny box open and his breath left his lungs in a sudden _whoosh!_

His throat constricted terribly, unable to find words for his feelings as he stared intently at the set of rings sitting snugly inside a pretty, blue cushion. It was a diamond tear, so pure, it seemed to glow on its own accord.

Gripping the box tightly, Atem realized it was two rings, made of several tears, set on thin, golden bands. The largest tear was standing alone on one band, and complimenting it was a starburst of five other stones, hugging the curved bottom of the teardrop like a fiery crown.

Stunned speechless, Atem angled the ring box left and right, unable to take his next breath. Whose tears were these?!  
They certainly weren't his own, because he had only ever cried diamond tears once, when he discovered his mother had perished on land while in captivity.  
And those tears had been oddly misshapen due to his distress and young age.  
He had buried those tears in a jar somewhere behind all his other gems in the very back of his treasury, because the mere sight of them brought the memory back in a painful surge.

"S-See?" Anzu said tentatively. "Put it on. That way we'll know for sure."

"I'm not sure I want to…" Atem choked, wondering what painful memory he'd see when he inevitably put the rings on.  
There were…so many!  
He would be sent reeling down a long, painful road…because he'd counted six tears.  
That was at least 600 heartbeats of memories.

"We'll be here to pull you out of it," Mai said seriously, sitting up and giving him a grave look. "He really didn't want to give it to us. We basically pried it out of his hands."

"Of course…because he doesn't…trust you," Atem hiccupped, his breath catching painfully in his chest as he tried to regain his composure. These tears were a side-effect of Kaiba's scale consumption, that's all it was. Perhaps it was too much to hope that they were empty tears?

Anzu rose from the bed and grabbed Atem gently by the arm, easing him down into a sitting position beside her, patting his back reassuringly.

"We're here for you," she said confidently, gripping the box lightly as she slipped the rings out and held them out with a shaking hand. "Ready?"

Atem shook his head tightly, his chest swelling with emotion as he held his hand out tentatively and felt her slip the rings onto his middle finger.

It was…a perfect fit.

Holding his breath nervously, Atem held his hand up for a closer look, enjoying the way the gems sparkled in the low light.

Mai threw her head back and laughed, trying to break the tension. "Wow, that looks—"

Her voice cut off suddenly as the room tilted dangerously in Atem's vision, and he couldn't hear the rest of what she said because he was no longer present.

He was riding in a moving car without a roof at night.  
The wind was whipping his hair painfully around his face while someone spoke harsh words beside him. Atem fearfully glanced over to see who it was, shocked to discover a familiar face.  
Mokuba.  
The boy Mokuba, all grown up, with long flowing black hair, broad shoulders and a chiseled jaw.

Speechless, Atem glanced back down at his hands, horrified to see that they were shaking violently, and a heart-wrenching pain was exploding out of his chest in the form of a distressed shout which rattled his ear drums and shattered all the glass in the car.

A ringing silence followed, and the car rolled to a gentle stop.

Mokuba was sitting very still, his shoulder shaking with fury.

 _"Why'd you do that?! This was my favorite car, Seto!"_

The scene shifted and melted away. He was underwater now, patting the sandy floor beneath him, searching for something. His eyes were blurry, and his lungs were tight.

Atem instantly recognized this memory from the colored rocks around him.  
This was when he had parted with Kaiba after moon bathing.  
Kaiba had…cried real tears when he'd left!

 _"Atem?! Atem! Can you hear us? Are you okay?!"_

Anzu and Mai's voices were shrill, echoing somewhere far away in the distance, and Atem managed to nod his head.  
He wanted to see all of it.

The scene shifted, and he could breathe again, but he was still on his knees, but this time, on firm ground, staring at a pair of very shiny shoes.

Atem looked up, seeing a dark night sky above him.  
He jerked his head around, staring breathlessly at the glowing mansion towering behind him before an old manservant's face appeared in his vision, looking worried.  
Pale hands held the tears up for him as an offering.  
The old man shook his head, looking exasperated, and Atem felt a pang of frustration.  
The offering had been rejected.

The old man's face melted away, and he found himself walking down a deserted street. He arrived at a door and after knocking, it was answered by another aging human, frowning in annoyance.

After being invited in, Atem watched with growing fascination as the old man led him through the house and showed him an electronic screen with various designs of rings.

 _He's a goldsmith!_ Atem thought excitedly, immensely flattered that Kaiba had gone to such lengths to get the ring made.

The old man sifted through the gems with a pair of silver tweezers and held them up to the light, his eyes gleaming as he spoke.

Atem felt himself nod and rise to his feet, ready to leave.  
He had a feeling they were nearing the end of the memory sequence.

The next memory was darkness, several long heartbeats of darkness, indicating that the gem had been cut. It had been cut several times because all Atem could see were flashes of the old man's face in deep concentration, his grey brows knitted together as he worked tirelessly.

Atem felt Anzu's hand growing clammy in his as she squeezed him tightly, and he returned the squeeze with equal vigor.

More darkness. Atem counted 120 heartbeats.  
Yes, this was the end…wasn't it?

After a moment, light flooded his vision, and Atem was caught off guard for a moment as Kaiba's handsome face appeared before him, his blue eyes wide with mild shock before smiled so confidently, Atem felt his stomach curl with longing.

Kaiba was gazing at the ring with pure happiness. He looked so handsome, wearing a crisp white suit with a tie that matched the color of his eyes.  
Atem watched as Kaiba smiled lovingly down at him again before darkness slowly crept into the corners of his vision and enveloped him completely.

 _He was thinking about me!_ Atem thought weakly, feeling tears building behind his eyes, but he forced himself to remain composed, waiting out the last few seconds of the memory before the sandy floor of his own room came swimming back into view.

He stared blankly at the tips of his red fins waving gently in the water with Kaiba's smile stamped permanently inside his mind.

Because of these rings, he now had a tangible memory of Kaiba's face that he could revisit anytime he missed him. Kaiba had cried these tears with genuine feeling from the bottom of his heart.  
Amazing.  
It didn't matter if Kaiba wasn't human.  
Kaiba's love for him was as true and clear as the tears he cried.

"A-Atem?" Anzu whispered, seeing the king's eyes brighten as he pulled out of the trance. "You're back."

Atem gripped Anzu's hand tightly as tears of gratitude welled up in the corners of his eyes.

"Thank you for suggesting …the diamond ring as a gift. This will keep me sane," he managed, barely able to breathe as his throat threatened to close with emotion. "Please tell him I said, 'thank you'."

"What did you see?" Mai prompted, flipping over onto her stomach and staring at him curiously. "Tell us. You were gone for a while."

"He went to a human goldsmith," Atem said excitedly, and the women gasped in delight. "The gem was cut several times, but with precision. I saw everything clearly."

"A capable human," Mai said solemnly. "What else?"

"He cried them while in a moving car," Atem continued, his cheeks heating up terribly at the sadness he'd felt. "Mana will be pleased to know that Kaiba was the merman who had let out the cry of distress several moons ago."

"Ohmigosh, Heartbreak Scream?" Mai threw her head back and cackled. "That's what we call it."

"Hey…be nice," Anzu gave Mai a nudge after seeing Atem's face darken with worry.

"Mokuba is grown up!" Atem continued, eager to discuss all the details of the memories. "He looks very pretty, almost as good as Seto. I can see their resemblance as brothers now."

"Wow, little Kaiba is big now," Anzu mused thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "I kind of want to see him with my own eyes."

"Ask big Kaiba to bring him," Mai grinned evilly, twirling her hair between her fingers. "Anything else?"

"That's it…" Atem said anxiously, unable to find words to describe Kaiba's happy smile at the very end. "He looked incredibly satisfied with the ring at the end."

"Of course, because it's gorgeous!" Mai declared, snatching up his hand and staring down at it with jealousy. "Look at the gold band and how thin it is. Kaiba must have found the most skilled human on the surface of this planet! It passes Mer-standards easily."

"Yes, only the best for you," Anzu echoed happily, leaning down to watch the ring sparkle on Atem's finger, and the king beamed at them, looking happier than he'd been in days.

"I must give him a ring in return!" Atem said happily, wiggling his fingers gently, feeling as if he was flying on the highest cloud. "Help me pick a gem from my treasury?"

"Oh! Yes, yes, yes!" Anzu laughed and zoomed towards the seaweed curtain, hovering excitedly beside it.

"I thought you'd never ask," Mai said dryly, rolling over onto her side, closing her eyes. "Man, I wish you had some human fashion magazines here."

"Ask Kaiba the next time you see him," Atem replied seriously, hurrying to his closet where Anzu was already excitedly picking through gems.

He dove in to join her, feeling more alive than he'd had been in a long time.

Time really did pass quicker when his friends were around to keep him company.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Kaiba has just about met all of atem's friends.

Atem gets a set of rings! :D

also, this got linked in my discord!

:

im amazed and thankful you are recommending this story to groups on facebook, dear reader!

i dont have a facebook, only an instagram ( pretti (dot.) ugli)

and twitter (prettiugli)

and tumblr (UgliFish)

(hugs)!

Ugli


	33. Chapter 33

Atem cracked an eyelid open, staring up at the curved surface of the stone ceiling, feeling a wave of nausea so strong, he had to close his eyes again.

Hating everything, Atem rolled out of bed and swam hazily to his door, inspecting his reflection on the mirrored surface. His skin looked dull, and dark circles clung stubbornly underneath his angular eyes.

 _I'm sick…again?_ Atem thought furiously, yanking his door open to swim slowly down to the hall towards the medic's chambers.

What was causing his sickness? Was it from residual side-effects of shore illness?  
Or was it the blood loss from his reckless stunt?

Drifting weakly through the doors of the medic's chambers, Atem glanced around, noticing empty pods and beds. All was quiet. Where was everyone?

He sagged heavily against the door, feeling another horrible clenching wave of nausea overtake him. Out from the corner of his eye, Atem saw the nurse zooming towards him, reaching out to hold him steady.

"My king!" he cried anxiously, leading Atem to one of the nearest beds and gently easing him down onto the plush sponge mattress. "Rest here. She will be back soon…! She went to view a passing ship along with the others."

Atem turned over on his side, trying to stomach another wave of pain that stabbed through him, and he shut his eyes with his teeth tightly clenched.  
It felt like someone had reached a hand down inside him and was twisting violently.  
Was he dying? Because this was what dying felt like.  
What had he done to deserve this pain?  
This was probably another punishment from his horrible pact-making with Seto Kaiba.

On shore, Kaiba stumbled, and his knees hit the sand as a sharp jolt of nausea caught him off guard. He dropped the spear he'd been holding and gasped as his vision pulsed green, white, red, and his lungs grew impossibly tight.  
He was suffocating.  
Holding his breath tightly while the blood rushed loudly through his ears, Kaiba curled his fingers into the sand, his lungs screaming for air.  
Why?  
Why the fuck was this happening?

"Whoa! Man down!" Tristan cried anxiously, racing back to Kaiba across the beach. "Jou! Come back! One human down!"

Kaiba felt himself being pushed over onto his side, and Tristan's face hovered above him, his brow wrinkled in fear and worry.

 _Can't…fucking breathe!_ Kaiba thought frantically, grabbing his throat with both hands and shaking his head. _Get me in the water!_

"…Uh…normally, when people can't breathe, you don't drown them in water…" Tristan said uncertainly, patting Kaiba's pockets for the syringes of slugs. "Let's try this first!"

 _No! Don't waste those, you idiot!_ Kaiba coughed thinly, his fury rising as his vision began fading in and out. He rolled onto his stomach, eyeing the ocean's horizon, feeling as if his head was going to explode.  
Air. He needed fucking air. Why couldn't he breathe?!

Something sharp stabbed him in the thigh, and Kaiba cursed furiously to himself, trying to crawl away from Tristan.

Joey came running towards them, his heart nearly stopping his chest when he saw Kaiba curled up on the ground by Tristan's knees, looking limp and lifeless.

Oh…shit.

He skidded to a halt, spraying Tristan's back with sand as he hovered over his friend, watching Kaiba behave strangely, grabbing his throat and thumping the sand with one fist.

"He's suffocating…" Joey whispered. He made a split-second decision and shoved Tristan aside roughly. "Move!"

He lunged forward and lifted Kaiba out of the sand with effort before he turned and raced back towards the water, feeling the waves rush steadily against his shins.

"W-Wait, what?! No! You'll kill him! He needs a doctor!" Tristan yelled, jumping to his feet and dashing after Joey, who was already waist-deep in water. He watched with rising horror as Joey dropped Kaiba into a large oncoming wave and dove down into the depths.

Cursing, Tristan ran into the water after them, powering through several large currents that nearly washed him back to shore, but he managed to kick off the shallow sand underneath him and swim forward, keeping his eyes peeled for his two companions.

Kaiba opened his eyes slowly, seeing his own hair floating in his peripheral vision, and Joey's concerned face hovered inches in front of him.

They were in shallow water, and the setting sun was sending streams of orange light around them.

 _Are you awake?! Can you breathe? Do I need to cut a hole in your throat?_ Joey asked nervously, and he held up his index finger with one long claw extended _. I ain't a doc, but I see that's how they do it back where I'm from._

 _Get the fuck away from me!_ Kaiba jerked away and felt his back scrape against a rough bed of rock.

 _You mean, 'thanks for saving me'?_ Joey glared, pointing accusingly at Kaiba. _You over-exerted yourself on land. Now we're even._

The blond merman swam upwards and popped his head up for air, treading water lightly as Tristan approached them quickly.

"Yo! What the fuck man?" Tristan cried, bobbing awkwardly in the water beside Kaiba and Joey, slightly dismayed that their spear-run had been cut short. "Is he dead? What's going on?"

Kaiba eyed the surface of the water fearfully, wondering if he would feel that horrible tightness in his chest again. Only one way to find out. He slowly rose up, first his forehead, then his eyes, nose, and mouth.

Inhaling tentatively, Kaiba trembled from head to toe, feeling his lungs ache strangely. He took another careful breath and felt the pain subside.

"I'm fine…" Kaiba said hoarsely, trying to stifle a cough that was climbing up his chest. "It was nothing."

"Nothin'? You almost died," Joey growled, turning away to look out over the horizon instead, his heart pounding rapidly with a mixture of guilt and anger. "You don't got much time left on land if you're suffocating randomly."

"I said…I'm fine," Kaiba hissed, curling his fists at his sides, resisting the urge to punch Joey. "You're getting on my nerves saying doom and gloom shit every time something happens."

"Because I've seen it before!" Joey whirled around furiously, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You—"

"Shut up! Someone's coming!" Tristan yelled, holding his hands up for silence while he whipped his head around anxiously, searching for the source of the laugher he thought he'd heard.

The group fell silent and Kaiba listened intently, hearing a vaguely familiar giggle in the distance, but it seemed to be vibrating through the water. He wasn't hearing it through his ears.  
Something in the water around them was carrying this sound and it made his hair stand on end.

The pretty face of the mermaid named Anzu with short brown hair flashed through his mind, and Kaiba grinned, trying to contain his excitement. Was it that time already? Atem's mermaid friends were back!

"…I don't hear nothin'," Joey said nervously, sinking his head underneath the water. "You're always hearing things Tristan."

Tristan gave Joey the middle finger, spinning comically around on the spot as he scanned the water around them with his eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, never mind dudes. You're right. I thought I heard something but it's nothing."

Kaiba glanced incredulously between his two companions, his confusion rising.

"It's the girls," Kaiba said stiffly, folding his arms across his chest, bobbing up and down against a gentle wave. "The blonde goddess and her short-haired friend."

Joey and Tristan stared blankly at Kaiba, tilting their heads in unison.

"How the hell do you know that?" Joey wrinkled his nose doubtfully. "Do you have Sight as well?"

"What the hell is 'sight'?" Kaiba asked fervently, his heart racing at the new information he was undoubtedly going to learn. "It's like visions, right?"

Tristan gave him a strange look, opening his mouth to speak, but before he could, pale arms wrapped around his neck, yanking him down underwater.

Joey let out a startled yell, and Kaiba saw a pair of arms raise up to drag him beneath the surface too.

"Boo!" Anzu cried, clinging onto Tristan as he thrashed clumsily, gurgling as he attempted to break away from her.

"Gotcha cowboy!" Mai laughed, pressing Joey's head between her large breasts while his face steadily grew redder and redder. "Surprise! We're back!"

"M-Mai…" Joey choked, kicking his legs out weakly as he felt a rush of excitement. Her boobs were right beside his ears and they were _so_ soft.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and sank under the water to join them, and the women let go the second they spotted him.

Anzu released Tristan and hid behind him, keeping one arm draped over his shoulder. "H-Hey Mr. Kaiba." She waved apprehensively, seeing Kaiba give her a tight nod in response.

Mai shoved Joey away and swam demurely up to Kaiba, giving him a foxy smile.

"I see you're enjoying an evening swim. How are you, Mr. Kaiba?"

"Fucking great," Kaiba flashed her a smile he hoped didn't look like a grimace, and he held his hand out expectantly. "What did Atem say? Do you have anything for me?"

There was a long silence as the mermaids glanced anxiously at Joey and Tristan, who shot them equal looks of shock and confusion.

"What?" Kaiba withdrew his hand and opted to keep them crossed in front of his chest defensively. "Spit it out."

"In my experience, humans can't talk underwater," Mai said sweetly, bobbing gently up and down in the water as another wave rushed overhead. "And when they smile, they don't have fangs."

Kaiba blinked.

What?

"Right here," Anzu said nervously, pointing inside her own mouth and giving Tristan another look. "…When you smiled…"

Kaiba slowly slid his hands up his face and slipped a forefinger past his lips and into his mouth, feeling a sharp point graze dangerously against his knuckles.  
Oh fucking shit.  
What the fuck!  
Shit. Shit! Would these go away after he got out of the water?  
Fuck!

"And now he's panicking, acting as if we're fucking idiots," Joey grumbled, waving his hand over his shoulder dismissively. "Don't bother with this asshole."

Kaiba's heart skipped a terrifying beat after he heard this, and he dropped his arms to his sides, curling them into fists. "Hey!"

"Don't even bother hiding it anymore," Anzu said, composing herself as she swam out from behind Tristan's broad back. "Atem walked through your memories after he put on the rings. We know you're Pure, so just cut the act already."

"What act?!" Kaiba raged, running a frustrated hand through his floating hair to keep it out of his face. "The teeth? The fangs? These are all from—"

"Yeah, that you're stabbing yourself with dead scales and slugs to stay alive? We know." Tristan said, his face uncharacteristically dark. "We know, man. You don't have to pretend anymore."

Kaiba held his hands up in an exasperated surrender as he growled, "I was never pretending."

There was another long, uncomfortable silence before Mai broke it by leaning against the rock beside him to give him another sweet smile.

"New requests," she said, sounding bossy. "We want magazines and lipstick. That's our fee for delivering your love notes to Atem."

"Ooo! I want a bra!" Anzu added excitedly, and Kaiba felt his cheeks burn with fury and humiliation. These women were using him as a mule.

 _"What kind…of bra?"_ Kaiba asked through gritted teeth, and he felt Mai lean her shoulder against his, her hair draping over his arm like a golden waterfall as she giggled.

"Any kind will do! I like blues and pinks. Oh, can you get one with lace? And I didn't know you were so fluent. How sexy…."

Joey growled and glared but said nothing, shooting Kaiba a private thought.

 _Hey, man. Stop laying merspeak moves on her. Lemme get in there. You owe me!_

"In return, here, these are from Atem," Mai said silkily, reaching down to slip her hand through Kaiba's much larger one, giving him a tight squeeze.

Swallowing thinly, Kaiba resisted the urge to pull away as she glided several beaded bracelets onto his wrist while their hands were still connected. He suppressed a shiver, feeling a rush of warmth and a strange tugging sensation deep inside his chest.

He recognized it as Atem's love…and longing.

Kaiba jerked away from her and edged closer towards Tristan, his heart racing as he nodded furiously at the mermaids who were gazing at him hopefully.

"You'll get your damn bras and lipstick," he said, having some difficulty finding his voice. "Thanks for the jewelry."

"He made it with you in mind," Anzu said quietly, staring at Kaiba whose expression had softened. He looked…quite forlorn. "Now let's go, Mai. Everyone is at the ship viewing. Let's get back before anyone notices we're gone."

"A ship viewing? Where?" Tristan asked excitedly, popping his head above water for a quick gulp of air before coming back down, grinning.

"Somewhere around here," Mai answered vaguely, kicking off the rock and looping her arm around Anzu's to pull her away slowly. "We'll meet you at Kaiba's Private Rock instead of here, okay? Atem has Mahad's schedule figured out, so we're safe."

"Yeah, alright. See you there," Joey nodded, waving energetically at Mai who was steadily swimming away without another look over her shoulder.

"We'll have all the stuff you want when you come back!" he called, still waving at the two women whose fins had become shadows in the distance.

"You mean _I'll_ have all the shit they want," Kaiba growled. "Where the hell are you two dweebs going to get money to buy bras? You're broke."

"Will you shaddup?" Joey fumed, turning on Kaiba once more. "Your Camaraderie is so shitty, it's no fucking wonder you've been left alone."

"Hey, hey! No infighting," Tristan splashed water towards Joey and Kaiba, attempting to calm them both down. "We're a pod now, so let's get along, c'mon guys."

"As if anyone wants to be in a pod with this prick," Joey grumbled, ducking beneath the water and swimming away rapidly, his heart churning with turmoil. He knew Kaiba couldn't help the way he behaved because he'd been abandoned on land, but it still didn't stop the anger from gushing forth when they did fight.

Kaiba said nothing, watching Tristan give him a frustrated look before diving underneath the waves to swim back to shore.

A strange feeling swirled around in his chest, and Kaiba ran a hand through his hair again, hating how it was obscuring his vision every time the water moved.

Whatever. If these two dweebs wanted to call their odd friendship "a pod", he'd put up with it…for Atem.

Shoving the strange feelings back down his chest, he swam after Tristan, feeling the new bracelets burn on his arm as he pushed through the water. All that mattered was that Atem was still thinking about him.

* * *

Mana laughed delightfully as she raced through the water alongside the ship, hand-in-hand with Serenity, listening to the excited cheers from the other mer-people around them as they circled the hull.

The roar of the ship's engines was so loud, they had to shout to be heard or speak in their thoughts.

 _No one will see us, right?_ Serenity called, gripping Mana's arm tightly as someone darted past their noses so fast, the tips of their fins nearly grazed her cheek.

 _Hey! Watch where you're going!_ Mana cried angrily, clutching Serenity's arm tightly as a handsome merman waved apologetically at them.

 _Oh…he's cute. I forgive him_ , Serenity said earnestly, and Mana giggled.

 _Let's go somewhere with less people!_ Mana said, pulling her friend away from the streams of people surrounding the ship. _Want to check out the front?_

 _Yes! Oh, this is the largest vessel I've seen yet!_ Serenity smiled, swimming excitedly after Mana, her fins aching. _I need to rest. Let's hang on to someone for a while, preferably a strong warrior who is a fast swimmer! How about that handsome man who ran into us earlier?_

Mana nodded in agreement and they broke away from the crowd to swim closer against the hull of the ship, where she spied the railing of a ladder above their heads.

"Here!" Mana gasped, reaching an arm up to hang onto it, pulling Serenity along behind her, giggling and laughing. "Is this better?"

"Yes!" Serenity smiled and clung onto the railing tightly, enjoying the way the water rushed through her hair. This was so nice…!

Several feet above them, a party was happening in full swing on deck, under the silver stars. A man with long white hair leaned against the sleek metal railing of the ship, watching the people dance and sway happily to the live music on stage.

He gripped his wine glass tightly, turning around to observe the ocean behind him, his boredom quickly seeping in. Everyone was drunk and rowdy, dancing with their pretty partners all dressed up in their glittering evening wear. It only made him miss his darling even more.

Sighing heavily, he glanced down and saw a ghostly hand clinging onto the metal ladder on the side of the ship, and he dropped his glass in surprise, whirling around to cry out for help.

"Someone's overboard!" he shouted, but to his rising dismay, no one paid him any attention aside from a passing waiter, who held out a tray with a fresh glass of water ready for him.

"Mr. Pegasus, please don't drink too much," the waiter said seriously. Then, he pointed at a man sitting on a white wooden chair on the upper deck with a red life ring sitting lazily on his lap.

"The guard there will know if anyone has fallen over, and an alarm will sound."

"Wh—but, there's a hand, down there! They're hanging on for dear life!" Pegasus cried angrily, bending over the railing and pointing at the metal ladder, seeing nothing but a white rush of foam lapped against the side of the ship. The waiter peered over the edge too, and sighed, shaking his head.

"Enjoy your evening, Mr. Pegasus," and he walked away slowly with the empty tray tucked under his arm.

Furious, Pegasus set the glass of water down on the ground and leaned intently over the side, staring down into the dark waters. He wasn't crazy. He had distinctly seen a woman's hand gripping the metal rungs on the side, and he was determined to help her.

Mana gasped and ducked her head back down, motioning for Serenity to let go. A man wearing bright red was looking down in the water directly at them.

Serenity glanced up and saw a distorted face through the water, hearing frantic thoughts streaming down from above.

 _She's hurt? Did she drown? I know I saw her hanging on! Should I jump down?! If she's still there, I can help her!_

 _No!_ Serenity cried, letting go of the metal rung to grab Mana's arm. _He saw us! He thinks we're humans in need of help! He said he's going to jump down!_

 _Then we'll tell him we're fine!_ Mana insisted, bravely sticking her hand out of the water and waving energetically before pressing her thumb to her index finger with three fingers raised, making an OK sign.

Pegasus felt the wind leave his lungs in a sudden _whoosh_ as he stared down at the beautiful hand signing 'OK' for a split-second before it disappeared underneath another foamy wave.

Straining his neck further down, he leaned forward dangerously, his head rushing as the blood flooded his ears. A woman was definitely in the water…but she was fine….  
What did this mean?!

"Mr. Pegasus! Look out!"

A strong hand wrapped around his chest, yanking him back from the edge, but Pegasus fought the man furiously.

"Let me go, you _fool_! I just saw…a phenomenon! It's a girl! A mermaid! A siren!"

"We'll rest in your room for the remainder of the evening," his manservant said, craning his head back to avoid a flailing arm that nearly knocked the glasses off his face. "You've had a bit too much to drink, Mr. Pegasus, please calm down!"

 _Is he going to be okay?_ Serenity asked worriedly, peering up at the railing, seeing the man vanish in an instant. _Looks like another human pulled him back._

 _Let's leave_ , Mana said hastily, grabbing Serenity's arm again and letting the ship churn forwards through the water past them. _We shouldn't poke our heads up to check anyway. It's against the rules._

 _Yeah, let's not tell anyone what we did_ , Serenity said nervously, swimming away quickly and seeing a group of their friends hovering in the distance. _Oh! Look, there's Rebecca!_

 _Agreed,_ Mana answered quietly, giving the surface one last guilty look before diving after Serenity, beating her tail heavily through the water. At least now, she had a story to tell Atem!

* * *

Joey weighed the car keys in his hand while watching Kaiba duck into the car, opening all the doors before closing them with a loud _click!_ and he gave Tristan an nervous look.

 _He's acting crazy again_ , Tristan said with a huff, and Joey gave him a tight nod in response as Kaiba glared at them both.

"Now, if I find even a speck of dirt or a scratch on this vehicle, you're both dead," Kaiba said firmly, eyeing Tristan and Joey with deep suspicion. "Repeat it back to me so I know you idiots aren't taking this as an opportunity to go joyriding."

"No harm will come to this vehicle," Tristan chanted, rolling his eyes. "Man, we're just hitting up bookstores! Why you gotta be so uptight?"

He grabbed the keys from Joey and circled the car excitedly. "I call dibs on driving first!"

"What?! Hell no!" Joey cried, leaping into the roofless car and landing on his ass in the passenger seat, trying to wrestle the keys out from Tristan's fingers.

Kaiba pressed a finger and thumb to his temples, a headache building behind his ears while his companions jostled each other for the keys.

Tristan yanked his arm away from Joey and gave him a playful shove before sticking the keys into the ignition and starting the car with a loud roar.

"Damn! I like that!" He yelled over the rumble of the engine, flashing Kaiba a thumbs up. "We'll come back with books and magazines for the girls, don't worry!"

Joey buckled up with a sour look on his face, his eyes nailed to the steering wheel with envy as the car pulled off the driveway. Kaiba raised his head, shouting after them, "…no pornography!" But they were already past the black gate, laughing and blasting music as they drove away.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Kaiba stalked back up the marble steps into his home, nearly running head-first into Mokuba, who was wearing a tight, form-fitting black suit, looking oddly overdressed for a random sunny afternoon.

"Where are you going?" Kaiba asked, frowning as he noticed Mokuba had stolen one of his silk ties. "Hey, that's mine."

"Yeah, well, it's not like you get dressed up for stuff anymore anyway," Mokuba said, edging away from his older brother with a glare. "I have a photoshoot in the garden today, or did you forget because you're too busy having fun with your delinquent friends?"

"Right…" Kaiba nodded stiffly. He had forgotten.

"Are you coming?" Mokuba asked roughly, avoiding eye contact as he brushed past Seto and walked out into the bright afternoon sun. "They should be done setting up now."

Kaiba frowned, pointing half-heartedly towards the garage, "I was headed to the bookstore—"

"No," Mokuba cut across him rudely, and his eyes glinted strangely. "Those _nerds_ are going to the bookstore. I heard them yelling about it, and you don't need to be seen in public with them. You can do the photoshoot with me, today. Now."

Kaiba opened his mouth to protest, but then he closed it when he heard spiteful thoughts from Mokuba, and they cut through him like a knife.

 _Seto needs to find friends his own age.  
The last thing he needs is bad press.  
Doesn't he know that everyone thinks he's a creep and a weirdo?!  
He needs to do this photoshoot to improve his public image! Those two flunkies don't help!_

"Go upstairs and get changed," Mokuba said, sounding almost threatening. "Then come back down for hair and makeup. See you fifteen minutes or I'll send Isono to get you."

"I don't need you to babysit me," Kaiba fumed, but his little brother had already rounded the corner of the house and disappeared after a few long strides.

 _Damn it,_ Kaiba growled to himself, turning back around to walk up the grand staircase, making sure to send Joey a text saying that he wouldn't be coming along.

He had been so preoccupied with fulfilling the mermaid's requests for bras, lipsticks, and magazines that he had forgotten to fulfill a promise he'd made to Mokuba about being more present.

 _But does it have to involve the media_?! Kaiba wondered furiously, throwing his closet doors back and stepping inside to sweep the first suit his fingertips landed on, freezing in place when an idea struck him.

Where was this photo going?  
On the cover of a magazine?  
Then it was possible for this magazine to land right in Atem's hands with the help of the mermaids, which meant…that he needed to look _fucking good_ for this photo.

Filled with a renewed sense of purpose, Kaiba's eyes burned as he scanned his suits, deciding to also go with classic black, so he would match Mokuba, and to ensure that he would look timeless.

Pushing the hangers aside, Kaiba unhooked the black suit and stared resolutely at his thumbnail which was so long, it curved out into a sharp, threatening point.  
Shit.  
He needed to file down the claws.

Stepping out of his spacious closet, Kaiba tossed the suit onto the bed and ran into the bathroom, catching a glimpse of his own face in the mirrors as he ducked down, rummaging through the drawers for the heavy-duty metal file.

Baring his teeth, Kaiba's heart thudded in his chest with relief when he saw that his canines had shrunk back to their normal size.  
No fangs.  
Where were the fangs?  
Was there a way to make them appear?

 _I'll deal with that later,_ Kaiba thought fervently, grabbing the metal file and grazing his nails over the surface hurriedly. A horrible scratching noise echoed in the large bathroom and Kaiba winced at the noise.  
This was fine.  
He just needed to look fucking human.  
A shower wouldn't hurt either.

Outside, Mokuba sat on the garden bench impatiently, tapping his foot against the grass beneath him while he waited. Everyone was also getting impatient, and he could feel it, because the photographer had asked if he wanted to add more time to the shoot, because he had only been paid for three hours, and at this rate, they weren't going to finish in time.  
It had already been thirty minutes.  
What the fuck was Seto doing?!

"Isono, go get Seto!" he called, seeing Isono bow stiffly from between two large umbrella lights and hurry away.

"No need! I'm fucking here," Kaiba called, striding confidently across the grass, using a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "You sprung an impromptu photoshoot on me so I'm doing my best, kid."

Mokuba tensed, ready to shout back at Seto for calling him a kid, but his voice died in his throat when he saw Seto… _his_ Seto, the old Seto with the mean lines in his sharp suit, the real Seto, dressed in his usual, imposing manner—the knot in his tie done with just the right amount of intention, and the cuffs that shivered over a glassy, pointed shoe—his Seto had returned!

The change was almost too sudden.  
His older brother was back, looking like his old self, walking across the grass towards him, looking tired and annoyed…as usual.

Overcome with emotion, Mokuba curled his fingers over his knees, thinking that this was an enormous contrast to the pale, haggard-looking and slightly disheveled Seto who always wore a set of dark pants with a tight turtleneck, clearly content with being dressed down because he had no one to impress.

Blinking rapidly to keep his eyes dry, Mokuba glanced down at his own knuckles, his heart thumping nervously in his chest. What had changed in that short amount of time? Maybe he ought to make Seto do photoshoots more often!

"M-Mr. Kaiba!" Several staff members cried out in surprise and waved at him before they caught themselves and hastily put their hands down.

Kaiba broke out into a light sweat when he realized people were staring at him more than usual. Even the gardener who tended to the rose bushes had dropped his shears and was gaping at him shamelessly with his mouth open.

Kaiba swept his gaze around the garden, counting the chairs, lights, cameramen, and spotted a props truck parked on the grass several feet away.  
There was quite a crowd here.  
What was this shoot even for? He had neglected to ask and was now regretting it.

"S-Seto!" Mokuba cried, finally finding his voice as he leapt to his feet and raced towards his older brother, throwing his arms around Seto's shoulders and bringing him into a tight hug. "You're back…!"

Isono stood at his side, smiling warmly while he gushed happy thoughts.

 _Something good must've happened! Master Kaiba looks refreshed and very much like himself. Someone must have clicked back into place. I'm so happy for Mokuba, the young man is crying a bit…._

Kaiba patted Mokuba's arms which were locked tightly around his neck, slowly choking the air out of him. Damn, Mokuba was just as tall as he was.

He pulled away with effort and realized with a jolt that Mokuba was indeed crying. A tiny tear hugged the curve of his high cheekbone, and Kaiba felt slightly uncomfortable.

"What's wrong, kid?" Kaiba asked gruffly, and Mokuba composed himself instantly, shooting his brother a glare.

"I'm not a kid, stop calling me that," he snapped, patting his cheeks gingerly with two fingers and straightening up. "Get in the makeup chair and hurry up. The photographer is only here for another two hours."

Kaiba nodded and found himself being dragged over to a chair. Several hands came for his face and hair while another brushed a lint roller across his shoulders and down his sleeves.

Blinking rapidly, Kaiba watched Mokuba walk around the set, ordering people around with ease, and a strange lump stuck in his throat, threatening to choke the air out of him.  
It struck him that Mokuba loved doing this.  
He loved being the center of attention, looking good, in command, and in control.  
It was like he was a stranger in his own garden, and Mokuba was running the show today.

"Mr. Kaiba, it's been a while since I've seen you," said the woman tapping a makeup brush across his cheeks with a shy smile. "Do you remember me? Mokuba hired me as a permanent member of his—your team!"

 _Gosh he doesn't look a day over 25! I remember the last time I did his makeup for the '30 millionaires under 30 photoshoot', his skin was glowing…and it's glowing now, wow I'm so envious ugh…where do men like this come from?_

"Yeah, I remember you," Kaiba said evenly, seeing her blush deeply and lower her eyes respectfully. "It was the 30 under 30 shoot for Tine's* magazine, wasn't it?"

"I'm so happy you remember," she whispered, fumbling and nearly dropping her brush onto the makeup tray sitting on a pop-up table to his left. "You look well."

"Thanks, you too," Kaiba answered mindlessly, still watching Mokuba parade around making people shift the lights and move benches. "How many shoots have you done with Mokuba?"

She tapped a cold balm onto his lips and tilted her head. "Ah…too many to count," she said, nodding vigorously. "But he's so nice to work with, always organized, and we always end on time, so I never feel overworked."

"How…nice…" Kaiba said through gritted teeth as she swept a tiny brush on his lower lip. "Are we done here?"

"One moment please," she replied hastily, reaching for a powder. "It's a bit hot today, isn't it? But this sun will make everything look cheerful. Eyes closed please."

 _I hate this,_ Kaiba fumed privately, but he closed his eyes, and she tapped the brush along his lids.

Sensing his impatience, she gave his face a few more passes with the brush before bowing and hurrying away with her ears red.

Opening his eyes, Kaiba saw Mokuba standing beside him, looking flushed and excited.

"You look good, big bro!" he said cheerfully, flashing Seto a grin as his heart soared happily at the sight of a healthy Seto with color in his face. "Alive, at least. Maybe you'll finally get a date if you walk around looking less dead."

"Ha fucking ha," Kaiba gave Mokuba a dry smile, feeling a rush of relief.  
This was what Mokuba meant when he'd asked him to be more present.  
They were back to their old dynamic with the joking around and the playful insults.

"Okay, this is for a fall edition of MQ, so we can both be featured, or I can give you the cover, I don't care either way," Mokuba said in a rush, pulling Seto towards the bench. "We'll pick the photos together when we're done, yeah?"

Kaiba nodded and saw staff nodding back at him in return, so he looked away hastily.  
What the hell was up with people today?

"Sit. You're not gonna ask me how I snagged a cover for MQ?" Mokuba asked, giving Seto a playful nudge with his elbow, seeing Seto give him a warm smile.

"I'm guessing it's because you were nominated?" Kaiba replied, giving Mokuba a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. "Good job making it on the cover of Men's Quarterly."

"What? No!" Mokuba laughed, turning to face the camera with his shoulder squared. "They want a fiancé's opinion on things. Cool, right?"

Kaiba blinked rapidly as his voice caught terribly in his throat, so he opted to nod. Yes.  
Mokuba was getting married. That was a thing that was happening…very soon.  
A seating chart had been shoved under his nose a couple weeks ago, and a venue had already been selected….

"Mr. Kaiba, please look towards me…. Yes, no, not you, Mokuba—I mean, Kaiba-kun, ah…how should I address you…sirs?" The photographer lowered his camera hesitantly, glancing between the brother's with confusion.

"First name is fine, Tenjou-san," Mokuba said evenly, giving his brother a rough pat on the back. "Sit up straight, Seto, don't slouch like the old man you are."

"Call me an old man one more damn time and I will fucking kill you," Kaiba growled, and Mokuba threw his head back to laugh heartily. The laugh was mirrored by a couple people standing around them, and Kaiba realized with horror that he'd been heard.  
God…dammit. How fucking embarrassing.

The photographer smiled widely and knelt on one knee, clicking the shutter rapidly, and Kaiba mentally slapped himself. It was hard getting back into his old groove in front of the camera, but Mokuba's confidence at his side was comforting, and Kaiba was able to relax as the shoot dragged on.

All he had to do was think about Atem's face and his reaction when he would inevitably see the photos in the magazine.

* * *

Tristan thunked the books down onto the counter and ignored the glare from the cashier.

"Hey, where's rich boy? He's taking a while. This is the fifth bookstore," he said, wiping his brow as the cashier lifted a book from the top stack and scanned it with a soft _blip._ "Jou?"

"Yeah?" Joey looked up from the bike magazine he was flipping through, and he ruffled his hair after shrugging. "I dunno man. Wait. He gave me a phone, let me see."

Tossing the magazine onto the counter while also ignoring the glare from the cashier, Joey dug out his phone and saw one text from Kaiba, sent three hours ago.

 _"Not coming. Spending time with Mokuba. DON'T BUY PORN/NUDE SHIT"_

"Wet rag," Tristan grumbled, reading the text over Joey's shoulder before inching a swimsuit calendar out from between two history books and gazing at it longingly. "But it's just _one_ …he won't mind, right? I'm sure the girls would want to see what human girls look like in these bikini things."

"We've bought one per store," Joey snickered, texting back a reply before shoving his phone back into his pocket with a grin. "Should we get the one where they're wearing costumes?"

"Cash or card?" The cashier asked flatly, setting a plastic tray on the counter while eyeing Tristan and Joey with mild disdain.

"Card," Joey said confidently, tossing Kaiba's credit card onto the tray and snatching the calendar from Tristan. "Lemme hang that on my side of the room."

"No! I found it, so I get to keep it on my side," Tristan argued, elbowing Joey aside. "Get your own."

The cashier slid the card through the machine and rolled her eyes.

* * *

Kaiba felt his phone buzz in his pocket, thinking it was about time Joey and Tristan responded, but he couldn't answer it because a man was interviewing him for the magazine.  
Mokuba had also sneakily sprung this on him after they had finished with the shoot.

"We're getting four pages, so say some interesting stuff, Seto." Mokuba had said with a sly grin, and Kaiba felt his insides shrivel up with dread.

He loathed interviews. It was never going to end.

The sun had set, and everyone was packing up the equipment.

"…What do you look for in a relationship?" The man asked lightly, and Kaiba turned his attention back to him, hearing the interviewer's thoughts seeping intrusively into his head.

 _Is he gay? Oh my god, I would ask him out on the spot if he is. There have so many rumors over the years, I can't contain myselffffffffffff! I'm getting an exclusive scoop…!_

Kaiba narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "Next question."

The man shook his head desperately, pressing the stylus tighter against the pad, his fingers visibly shaking.

"I-I can't skip any questions…this is the theme, Mr. Kaiba," he said, lowering his head respectfully.

 _Wow! This guy doesn't like to talk in complete sentences…._

"I'm looking for someone specific," Kaiba said furiously, curling his fists in his pocket as he grappled with himself for what he was about to say. "Someone kind and understanding. Someone who understands my situation and my place in life. Someone who won't judge me for my sexuality."

 _JACKPOT!_

Kaiba winced at the man's sudden, loud thought, seeing him nearly teeter off his chair as he typed with a frenzied energy.

"Would you please elaborate on what you mean by your place in life and your…sexuality?" the man asked breathlessly, not daring to look up from his pad.

Kaiba leaned back into the chair, thinking he had dug himself into a shitty hole he now had to crawl out of. Goddammit. Why couldn't he answer all of these questions with Atem's name?

"I'm a public figure whether I like it or not," Kaiba said with a grimace. "So people are going to pry into my life, and it's hard finding someone who wants to deal with that shit. And regarding my sexuality, it's a little hard to explain, so I'd rather not."

 _Noooo! What do I do? Shit shit, think think…. Maybe I should butter him up…._

"I see, I see," the man said, nodding fervently. "Very informative. This will be the first time people are hearing about this. Perhaps if you went into more detail, someone will come forward and help you…"

 _Or date you! Can he please just say he's gay? It's not that taboo anymore. He's rich and can do anything he wants! Is he trying to be polite?_

"I doubt it," Kaiba said seriously, feeling a laugh climbing up his chest but he reminded himself to be serious. Atem was going to read this.

"I'll put it this way…" Kaiba drawled, giving the man an appraising look as he prepared for another loud shout in his thoughts. "Gender doesn't matter to me."

 _Because Atem is a fucking fish_ , Kaiba thought mildly, curling his fingers around the armrest of the plastic chair.

"I see," the man said again, his voice shaking with excitement. "Is there a specific term to describe your sexuality?"

There was a long silence and Kaiba waited for the man to say something in his thoughts, but to his surprise, there was nothing but more silence.

"Is there a term? I don't know, because I don't like being put in boxes," Kaiba said slowly, his gaze drifting over the man's shoulder, landing on a dark red rose sticking out from the bush. "But I'm not particularly interested in sex…with other people _._ I've stopped dating because I feel out of place and a little used."

 _Out of place? U-Used?_ The man paled visibly and cleared his throat.

"Because of your status?" the man asked encouragingly, tapping the tablet. "It is really hard to find someone who is blind to money…I understand."

"Do you?" Kaiba asked ruthlessly, fully aware that he was making the man uncomfortable. "It's pretty shitty, so I've resigned myself to being alone. Mokuba got one of the good ones though. Go interview him."

"I already have," the man said quietly, seemingly unable to make eye contact. "Now, you say…gender doesn't matter, but I'm sure you have a preference?"

"I prefer men," Kaiba said casually, crossing his legs and resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose as he felt another headache wrapping around his temples. "But I'm not opposed to dating a woman."

Atem was prettier than any woman he'd ever encountered, so no woman could compare to his beauty.

 _Finally! He is gay!_ The man beamed, glancing up briefly to make eye contact for a split second before he ducked his head back down to continue typing out notes, his thoughts spilling out rapidly.

 _That was like pulling teeth, holy shit._  
 _He could've just started with that…then I could've spent this entire time asking him about what kind of men he likes, but our time is up, and he keeps tapping his foot, its driving me insane…._

"Are we done here?" Kaiba asked coldly, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket again. Damn, he was itching to answer it.

"Last question," the interviewer said hurriedly, his cheeks turning pink. "What type of men are you attracted to? Do you have a certain…occupational range you adhere to personally?"

"Royalty," Kaiba answered with a playful smirk.

The interviewer laughed and he pressed a hand to his chest, composing himself.

"Please answer seriously, Mr. Kaiba."

"I'm being serious," Kaiba said mildly, examining his nails and marveling at how rounded his fingernails looked. "Large and in charge, that's what I like. Oh, and a spiky hairstyle. Write that down."

The man gaped at him, the stylus hanging loosely from his fingertips while his mouth twitched upwards into another smile.

"You-uh…you like men who spike their h-hair?" the man stammered, running a hand through his own hair nervously, and Kaiba couldn't help but smile evilly.

"But it has to look intentional," Kaiba added, enjoying this interview fully now that he had the man flustered and speechless. "Add some colors like blond spiky bangs, and some fiery red tips. It looks very cool if you do it right."

There was tense silence as the man stared at him, his eyes watering while his thoughts raced incoherently.

 _What the—is he crazy? He's yanking me around, right? He's saying it so seriously too, so I can't tell! I want to ask if he would consider dating me, but he just demanded ridiculous physical traits?_

"Well, that's all the time I have," Kaiba said blandly, rising to his feet and attempting to catch Mokuba's eye. "Don't put words in my mouth or I'll sue you for slander. Did you sign the non-disclosure?"

"Yes, yes," the man chanted, tucking the tablet under his shaking arm, clearly eager to leave. "Mr. Kaiba—ah, I mean, your brother has everyone sign it before we step through the gates. Good luck with your search, and here, please take my card if you think of anything else to say."

The man handed Kaiba his card informally with one hand before he dashed away with his head down, mumbling to himself.

Flicking the card between his fingers, Kaiba tucked it away in his other pocket while he slipped out his phone.

The screen flashed on with two notifications, both from Joey.

 **Jou:** chill out, we only bought one porno from each store.

 **Jou:** WE R BACK! Why are there so many people in the garden? We'll be inside out of sight

"One porno from each store? How many is that?" Kaiba growled through gritted teeth, shoving his phone back into his pocket and stalking across his property towards the guest house.

He couldn't trust those clowns to do anything right.  
He'd explicitly said, _no porn._ Did they also not know how to read?

"SETO!" Mokuba called, waving at his brother who was speeding towards the guest property with long strides. "Come have dinner with me!"

Kaiba paused mid-step and nodded at Mokuba before he continued on his way, his mind filled with thoughts of Atem's reaction when he would inevitably see his answers in the magazine.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Kaiba gets the bracelets atem made for him, and mai + anzu make demands for lipstick and magazines.

Then, he gets dragged into a photoshoot with mokuba while Joey and Tristan go magazine shopping.

edited by: taedae

hugs,  
Ugli


	34. Chapter 34

Atem opened his eyes, seeing nothing but the milky-green membrane of the pod, and rolled over onto his side, trying to see if anyone was in the neighboring beds.

No shadows were hovering around him, and all was quiet, so he slowly lifted the edge, trying not to rip the thin material as he sat up and glanced around. A couple of beds were occupied, and one other pod was sealed.

The medic came rushing through the room, her hair streaming wildly behind her as she approached Atem and bowed.

"I'm sorry I wasn't present when you needed me! How are you feeling, my king?"

"I feel…fine," Atem answered. The room was spinning slightly while stomach growled with hunger. "I am lightheaded. Is it from the blood loss?"

The medic instantly looked serious and drew the sides of the pod up around them for privacy, lowering her voice.

"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that," she whispered sadly, reaching forward to grasp his hands tightly in hers. "Your illness was caused by acute loneliness. Are you intentionally isolating yourself, my king? You need social interaction, warm touches, and a loving mate!"

Atem swallowed thinly and nodded, his voice caught terribly in a thick lump.  
Acute loneliness?  
Of course.  
He hadn't been socializing because all his friends had left for decade-long shore duty.

Mai and Anzu were also traveling to and from shore so much, he barely saw them.

Mana had grown tired of his gloominess and chose to hang around Serenity instead.

And where would he get warm touches? From who? The baby octopus from the Timekeeper's chambers who often zoomed by to tell him a year had passed on land? Or the other octopus who was Kaiba's stolen Messenger?

And no one was suitable as a "loving mate" aside from Seto Kaiba himself.

Solomon came dashing in through the doors to Atem's pod side, his white hair flowing magnificently behind him while he clutched his staff tightly against his chest.

"My boy! Why are you doing this? You've starved yourself of warmth so much, you fell ill!"

"I said I feel fine," Atem said indignantly, but his grandfather wasn't listening. Strong arms wrapped around his shoulders and he was pulled into a tight embrace.

"My boy…my dear precious boy…." Solomon held Atem tighter in his arms, rocking him back and forth in deep sorrow. "Please don't let your encounter with one terrible human dictate how you live your life. We've already lost your mother _and_ your father to the surface. I know it's hard, but perhaps you need to see a Counselor? Your friends will be back soon, the decade is almost up!"

"I don't need…Counseling…" Atem said through gritted teeth, biting back tears of frustration and anger. "I want to see my friends on shore."

"We can't do that," Solomon said gravely, pulling away to gaze into his grandson's angular violet eyes which were glistening at the corners. "Amending a pact too much is bad for your health. Changing the base structure of the wording causes cracks and weaknesses…. It's not good! You'll continue to randomly fall ill, and we can't have that. You'll be in so much pain."

"I'm already in pain," Atem answered heavily, catching a sympathetic grimace from the medic. "May I leave now?"

"No, no. We are not done here," Solomon shook his head furiously. "We must find you a mate, or at the very least, more friends."

A bubble of anger rose rapidly inside Atem's chest as he glared at Solomon. He was about to protest but they were interrupted by Mana, who threw herself through the front doors of the medic's chambers and rushed to his pod with a tear-stricken face.

"Oh, Atem!" She wailed, throwing her arms around his neck and showering his cheeks with a dozen kisses. "I'm sorry I didn't notice! I just thought you wanted some time alone, and I was respecting your wishes, but I didn't know you would get so sick!"

Atem's cheeks grew pleasantly warm, and he held onto Mana's arms tightly, realizing that yes, he was starved of touch.

"What do you say, Mana?" Solomon prompted, folding his arms over his staff. "Let's find Atem a suitable mate, or some more friends."

"OH! Yes, yes," Mana cried, forcefully lacing her fingers through Atem's hand and gripping him so tightly, Atem's fingertips stung from the lack of blood. "Let's journey to a neighboring colony and attend some parties!"

"I don't want to do that…" Atem said nervously, but he was talked over by the medic, who seemed very supportive of the idea.

"YES! That is a wonderful idea!" she nodded enthusiastically at Mana. "I have a map to that colony we talked about in private…Shall I give it to you now?"

"I wasn't aware of this," Solomon smiled, looking very relieved. "What colony did you have in mind, my dear?"

Atem groaned and thunked his head back onto the sponge pillow, feeling a headache building behind his ears. No one was listening to him. Everyone just wanted him to be instantly better, thinking that a mate was the magical cure-all.

 _Well, it normally would be…if my mate was Seto Kaiba,_ Atem thought angrily, resisting the urge to poke holes through the green membrane of his pod while Mana and the medic shared a laugh.

"Is he well enough to travel?" Atem heard Mana ask anxiously, and the whole room fell silent, waiting for an answer.

"In short distances," the medic answered carefully. "Could I keep him for two more moons? He required a lot of healing, and I'm not comfortable releasing him unless he's in full health."

"Two moons?" Atem echoed incredulously. "How long was I in here? I'm not injured!"

"Emotional wounds are the hardest to heal," the medic said seriously, and Atem resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her.

"Well, we can take breaks in neighboring colonies on the way, can't we?" Mana asked desperately. "We can look for a suitable mate in all the places we stop! How does that sound, Atem?"

"How long was I unconscious?" Atem rounded on the medic who looked unusually strained.

"You wouldn't wake up after a round of Healing," she said quietly, and a heavy silence blanketed the room again. "It was like…you didn't want to wake up. You were in a tranced sleep for four moons. No one could wake you, not even me."

"Did Mai or Anzu come by to visit?" Atem demanded, now incensed that this information was kept from him.

"No…it was only us," Mana answered, looking strained. "Solomon, Mahad, Isis, and I. Sometimes I'd bring Serenity. Sometimes Shadi would float in to check on you when he was bored. Your friends did send a Messenger, but that stubborn octopus wouldn't deliver the message to anyone other than you."

"I missed a message?!" Atem cried, despair crushing his chest so heavily, his next breath was hard to draw. It had to be a message from Kaiba! Four moons had passed while he was tranced, and if he was kept here for another two, a half year would've passed on shore…again!

"Stop! Stop!" The medic rushed forward and pressed a hand warmly against his chest, holding her hand up for silence around her. "Stop telling him bad news! He's in pain!"

"Which is why we need to get him out of here and into other colonies where he can meet kids his age," Solomon said gruffly, pointing his staff shakily at Mana. "I give you my blessing. Medic, make some medicine for them to bring along the way. He's strong boy, he'll make the journey."

"I said I don't want to go," Atem said loudly, but he was ignored once more.

"I'll prepare the medicines," the medic said cheerfully, turning and beckoning to her nurse. "Come, let's start mixing."

"And we'll start packing!" Mana smiled warmly, pulling Atem out of the pod by the arm and leading him through the door. "Let's bring your finest crowns. Oh! And let's fix our hair."

"Mana…" Atem said quietly, trying to express that he missed Kaiba, but she barreled over him excitedly.

"Do you want to wear a cloak? A royal cloak? You can wear that beautiful purple one that belonged to your father! And—"

"Mana!" Atem gripped her arm weakly, feeling usually helpless. "I don't want to mate with anyone other than Seto Kaiba."

Mana blinked slowly and nodded. They floated to a stop at the door to his room and she turned to give him an eerily robotic smile.

"We will go visit Seto Kaiba's colony. That's where we're headed. It was intended to be a surprise but—"

"What?" Atem spluttered, yanking his arm out of Mana's grasp, his exasperation rising. "For the last time, Seto Kaiba is human. _Human_."

"And I'm telling you that he is a filthy liar!" Mana replied heatedly, turning slightly red in the face. "Come with me, and we'll argue on the way Pharaoh."

Atem fell silent and decided it was best to say nothing.  
When Mana addressed him as 'Pharaoh', it meant she was angry and wanted to be taken seriously, so he decided he would not argue with her anymore about Kaiba's species.

He watched her set a couple of golden armbands into a seaweed sack and sling it over her shoulder, holding a crown up with her other hand.

"Wear this."

Atem nodded reached out both hands to put it on, understanding that he had lost this fight, at least for now. Hopefully, Seto Kaiba was having a better day than he was.

* * *

"How many more?!" Joey groaned, lifting a stack of books and setting them heavily onto the van. "Did we really buy this much? Why'd they take so long to come back?"

"Because I had them professionally done," Kaiba answered loftily. He wiped his brow and stepped back to savor the impressiveness of their handiwork.

The entire trunk of the van was filled bottom to top with books and magazines that were neatly laminated in plastic.

He had paid good money to a craftsman to take apart each book in order to preserve every page, including the spines. Now, this shit ought to last a lifetime underwater.

"I can't believe you let me keep the porn," Tristan grinned, swinging the trunk doors shut with a muffled _clack!_ and Kaiba rolled his eyes. Whatever.

He watched Joey climb excitedly into the driver's seat and Tristan clambered into the passenger's side, making a face at him.

"I called it, so you have to cram in the back with all the books," Tristan grinned boyishly, jerking a thumb towards the backseat. "Hup hup, Mr. CEO."

Kaiba pinched his brow in disdain and secretly wondered if they treated Atem this way too.

* * *

Atem swam steadily beside Mana, keeping the white staff tightly at his side. It was starting to grow heavy, and he was beginning to resent Mahad for making him bring it along.

They were approaching a familiar fissure, and Atem swam automatically towards it, but Mana gave him a restraining tug.

"Atem! Don't add more distance to our journey. You'll get tired."

"I want to leave this weapon behind," Atem growled, pulling Mana towards the dark crevice in the distance. "I'll leave it in one of the caves. We'll come back to get it. This staff is making my arms ache."

"Okay…hurry back. I'll wait here," Mana said, eyeing the darkness fearfully.

Atem didn't waste a moment and powered through the water hastily, eager to ditch the weapon. He knew he had to carry it because everyone was worried there would be another interruption from the surface during their travel, but Atem decided it wouldn't matter.

If someone wanted to capture him again, he knew Kaiba would show up to save him anyway…that was, if his punishment pact didn't kill him first for surfacing.

Stabbing the end of the staff into the wall of rock, Atem gave it one last look before swimming back towards Mana, wondering what Kaiba would think if he knew about this mate-searching.

"Good, you're back," Mana said cheerfully, looping her arm through his and pulling him forwards steadily, the water causing her hair to billow prettily around her cheeks as they swam. "The nearest colony is Joey's!"

"I don't want to stop there," Atem answered darkly, not in the mood to meet anyone new. "Let's go directly to the colony you wanted to show me and head home. I really don't care about any of this, Mana."

She gave him a long look before hoisting the seaweed sack back over her shoulder and turning her head away in a huff.

"Fine, but you'll tell me when you get tired," Mana said anxiously, and Atem nodded in agreement.

They continued in silence, and Atem quickly sank into his own thoughts as the miles stretched on.

* * *

Kaiba eased himself into the chair behind his desk, glancing around his room, thinking it had felt like ages since he had properly sat down.

He practically lived on the guest property with Joey and Tristan, so he barely had any time to himself. The two mermen had insisted they stick together as a "pod", and dragged him along in their antics whenever they felt like "Training", which consisted of spear-throwing, slug hunting, cliff climbing, and long jogs on the beach.

Sighing tiredly, Kaiba reached into one of the desk drawers and pulled out the two bracelets Mai had given him.

He ran his palms across the beads, enjoying the cool feeling against his skin. They were milky white with only a few black striations in the crystal, and Kaiba frowned, wondering what kind of stone it was.

Absently slipping one onto his wrist, Kaiba wrapped his fingers around one bead, attempting to count how many were in the strand but was unprepared for the vision that sent him reeling.

He was no longer sitting at his desk.  
Instead, he was floating in a tall cavern with pillars surrounding him on all sides.  
A merman with a silvery beard and long locks of hair approached him steadily, holding a tiny golden crown in his hands, looking sorrowful.

"Wear this proudly, my boy, keep it safe," the old man said, and Kaiba held his breath, shocked that his own arms were tan and chubby, almost child-like. They reached for the crown and the scene shifted rapidly. Everything blurred together in a rush of blue, green and white…so white that his eyes stung, and Kaiba realized he was looking directly into the sun.

Wincing, he turned his head away and saw the pretty mermaid named Mana playing in the sand beside him, gently sticking shells against a sand tower she had made.

She looked much younger than Kaiba remembered, and he realized with a jolt that he was viewing Atem's memories.

"What are you doing? Did you find more pink shells like I asked?" She demanded, sounding bossy. "Don't come back until you do!"

Kaiba felt himself nod, and he pushed off the beach towards an oncoming wave. To his increasing horror, Mahad rose out of the water before him with a woven sack slung over his wet shoulder, smiling warmly.

"My king!" Mahad held the seaweed sack up with a well-muscled arm decorated with a multitude of golden armbands. "Pink and yellow shells, as you and Mana have requested."

"It doesn't count when you do it!" Mana cried, her cheeks reddening steadily. "I asked Atem to fetch them."

Mahad rolled onto the beach with precision and gave Mana's arm a warm squeeze, and Kaiba watched curiously as Mahad's eyes softened at the corners.  
What the…fuck? Were they in love?

The scene shifted, slower this time, and Kaiba blinked rapidly, once again seeing Mahad floating before him, but this time, he looked different.  
His hair was darker, tied back in a slick ponytail, and he had a hardened look in his eye.  
He was no longer wearing jewelry on his body and he had a spear at his side.  
The warmth from earlier was gone.  
Something had happened.

"This will be the route that only you and I will use," the warrior said, sounding tense. "You will use this in times of danger to get yourself to safety. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Kaiba felt his own mouth move, and before he could register what was happening, Mahad shot forward in the water at a surprising speed, and Atem was keeping up, his nose dangerously close to Mahad's elbow. Atem's blond hair flew around his ears as the water tore past their bodies, and Kaiba marveled at the speed.

The scenery flashed by so quickly, he barely had time to stamp each landmark into his memory, but he managed. First, they had passed various rooftops decorated with colorful shells and bits of glass. Then, there was a long stretch of water with nothing but a streaming forest of kelp to their left, and Kaiba blinked, amazed at how clearly he could see everything around him.

They continued swimming and Kaiba saw the remains of a sunken ship buried beneath them. Mahad took a sharp turn, and he followed, keeping his arms tight at his sides while his tail ached with effort, but he kept up, spying a towering wall of rock approaching as they continued to swim closer to the surface.

The air was thinner up here, so much that it made his lungs ache.

Mahad led him alongside the rocky wall and made another gradual turn, the pressure around his shoulders subsiding, but his chest was still tight.  
What the hell were all of these feelings?

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of swimming, Mahad finally popped his head above water, and Kaiba followed suit, taking a deep gasp of air and his lungs expanded gratefully.

"Quiet…let's not be heard," Mahad whispered, pointing at several houses lining the beachfront in the distance. "Come. Around here."

Kaiba stared at the unfamiliar landscape, trying to figure out where the hell they were.  
Was this Japan? But these houses looked a bit old.

"Atem!"

He turned his head and followed quickly as they swam through a crevice of rock along the water's rocky edge, arriving at a small patch of sand with small pools of water scattered around them.

"Did you get all of that?" Mahad asked gruffly. "We can come up as many times as you like until you can remember."

"I remember," Kaiba felt himself say, and Mahad turned to give him a sad smile.

"I will always be here for you, my king. If you're too injured to get to this shore, I'll show you another place. Come."

The scene shifted into a blur and Kaiba found himself staring into darkness.

Blinking rapidly, Kaiba curled his fingers tighter around the bracelet but nothing else flashed before his eyes, so he let go of it, his heart racing with trepidation and excitement.

The beads landed with a soft clatter atop his desk, and Kaiba gripped his hair, his breathing ragged as he realized what had just happened.

These were no ordinary bracelets. They contained images, and memories of Atem's life below.

And…it seemed like Atem had given him a map!

A very clear map. He just had to find the small patch of sand with the tiny row of houses along the beach and swim from there.

Kaiba let his breath out slowly, feeling a delirious laugh crawling its way up his chest.  
Holy fuck! Atem had given him a map!

Pressing a hand to his face, Kaiba's shoulders shook before he finally gave in, throwing his head back and letting out a triumphant shout of laughter. Gripping his sides tightly, Kaiba found that he couldn't stop laughing.

Leaning against the edge of his desk, Kaiba reached for the second bracelet, tingling with anticipation.

The minute his palms touched the rounded stones, the smile slid off his face as he was sent reeling into another vision.

Large ruby tears were streaming down his face while he sat on a soft spongy bed inside a comfortable room lit with luminescent jellyfish, and another old merman floated above him, gently consoling him.

"There there, my boy…no need to cry so much…." The old man said uncertainly, sounding as if he was holding back tears himself. "Your father lives on in all of our hearts. He has joined your mother in the afterlife. Don't cry…. They are happy together."

Kaiba's chest constricted painfully as he hiccupped, trying to repress another violent sob that was wrenching itself out of his body against his will.

Furious, he clenched his fists, trying to stop himself from crying, but it was futile. The scene shifted, and he was crying again, but this time, it was tears of frustration while he sat on a golden throne in the large room with the dark pillars.

Several unfamiliar faces surrounded him, debating amongst each other loudly above his head. The mermaid, Mana, was at his side, holding his hand tightly, whispering words of gentle encouragement.

 _"Don't despair, my king…you'll see him soon…"_

"Confinement is not a constructive punishment!" A beautiful dark-haired mermaid spoke. She wore a white decorative sash around her head lined with golden threads that gleamed in the semi-darkness.

"Then what do you suggest we do, Isis?" A merman wearing large earrings asked furiously, and Kaiba recognized him, vaguely. It was the merman who had surfaced with Mahad while negotiating Atem's release.

"He needs to be present for the morale of our kingdom!" The old merman boomed, raising his staff solemnly. "We will amend the pact as many times as needed."

"Amending pacts too many times is dangerous," a merman with a dark tattoo on his forehead muttered, looking bored. "You've already amended it once, and that was pointless."

Kaiba felt a pang of fear and confusion when he heard this.  
The blood pact he held with Atem had been broken?  
Clearly Atem was trying to reach him too.  
Glad to know he wasn't the only one breaking his back trying to meet up.

"Shada, don't speak unless you're adding something of value to this conversation," Mahad snapped, looking angrier than Kaiba had ever seen him.

"Men, let's not fight. We need to find a solution…" the mermaid with the sash said, sound impatient. "Atem needs more friends aside from Mana and those two warriors. He needs a loving mate…."

The scene shifted, and Kaiba wanted to scream, to claw his way back into that dark room and see the end of their discussion, but he was already being shown another memory.

He was in a garden of sorts, with colored seaweed streamers hugging tall pillars and assortments of coral were set artfully around them in a circular pattern. Surrounding him was Joey, Tristan, and a black-haired, flamboyant merman wearing jewelry he clearly made himself.

"Atem! Come hunting with us!" Tristan threw an arm around his shoulder and nearly chocking the air out of him in a tight hug. "Bring one of those fancy royal spears. I've always wanted to use one."

"Touching a weapon that isn't assigned to you will get us in trouble," the black-haired merman said dryly, and Joey glared, baring his fangs.

"Shut yer face Duke. Why you gotta be such a downer? We aren't breaking the rules if Atem says we can have a spear!"

The merman fell silent and looked deeply annoyed.

"Nah, he's right," Tristan said with a sigh. "I guess we'll have to wait until we get our own. Let's use sticks instead! Atem, what's wrong, bud?"

Kaiba blinked and realized he was crying. What the…?

"I hate to ask this of you…" his mouth was moving numbly as he spoke, his voice shaking with emotion. "...But can you find Seto Kaiba when you travel to shore? I want to know how he's doing."

"What's with you and that human?" The black-haired merman rolled his eyes and Kaiba felt a pang of resentment. That guy was not Atem's friend.

"I will find him," Joey said confidently, swimming forward to place both his hands strongly on Atem's shoulders. "Don't worry. I'm good at this stuff. Leave it to me."

Kaiba let his breath out shakily and the scene shifted once more.

The darkness was stifling, and all was quiet. Frowning, Kaiba leaned gently back into his chair and waited. Was that the end? There had to be more.

A warm bubble of light hovered in the distance and Kaiba stared at it excitedly.  
This had better be a happy memory. He was fed up with Atem's crying.  
It was heartbreaking to experience.

He found himself staring at a bed, the same one inside the room with beautiful jellyfish floating around the ceiling. Blinking rapidly, Kaiba recognized several familiar items. His silver belt buckle had been tacked to the wall, and several of his ties were braided around the stone posts of the sponge bed in a colorful pattern.

Deeply moved, Kaiba reached out to touch it, but his hand went right through the pillar.  
He had to remind himself he was still sitting at his desk.

Atem moved to sit down on the edge of the bed, and Kaiba glanced down his entire body, marveling at his toned stomach and the thick red tail. Atem was…so much more beautiful up close.

Holding his breath, Kaiba continued to watch as Atem ran his hands down the sides of his body, touching himself sensually while he gazed into the mirrored surface right in front of him.

He was staring right into Atem's face, his delicate lips half-parted while his blonde bangs floated prettily around his sharp, tanned cheeks.

"Seto…I really…want to see you…" Atem whispered, and he reached a hand down his front, sliding it slowly over a soft patch of scales. In a heartbeat, a thick, curling length emerged underneath his palms and Kaiba rocked back and forth in his seat with disbelief and anticipation, unable to breathe.

Atem was…masturbating in front of a mirror…for him?!

Holy fucking shit.  
This was like the equivalent of receiving a dirty video…but better.  
His own boner throbbed excitedly inside his pants, but he held out, wanting to see everything first.

Kaiba stared so hard, his eyes watered, but he realized it was because Atem was forcing himself to cry. Confused, he watched as Atem began to touch himself in earnest, throwing his head back shamelessly and using both hands to grab his own length, his light gasps filling the air around them.

A wonderful warmth began building at the base of his stomach and Atem curled forward in a sudden heave, his semen spilling out messily out between his fingers and slowly spreading out in the water before him.

He saw Atem's face twist into one of disgust and fury before he hastily reached underneath the bed to pull out a glass vial, gathering it all inside and capping the lid with a sorrowful air.

A tanned hand reached out to gather up the tears from the bed and Atem's voice rang inside his head.

 _"I should string this into a bracelet for him…but I don't know if he'll wear it. I don't remember him wearing jewelry."_

The scene was fading, and Kaiba shook his head frantically. No. He didn't want it to end.

This was the best fucking memory yet.

His office slowly swam into view and he found himself lying on his back, staring up into Tristan and Joey's faces which were both twisted with worry.

"Ah, there he is," Tristan said, and Kaiba felt himself being sat up by a strong hand. "See Mokuba? He's fine! Toldja."

Kaiba's head rushed violently, and he curled his knees to his chest when he realized he was still hard.

"Ohhhhh…I know what he sent you," Joey said knowingly with a grin, and Mokuba appeared, shoving Tristan aside roughly to kneel beside Seto.

"What the hell, Seto?!" Mokuba pressed a clammy hand against Seto's forehead, checking his temperature. "I came in and you were slumped over your desk!"

"He was having a fun time," Joey said amicably, but he received a glare from Mokuba in response.

"Don't fucking do that again," Mokuba hissed, rising to his feet and storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him so hard, the crystals on the chandelier rattled.

Tristan crossed his legs and propped his head up on one hand, pointing lazily at the door. "You guys are related? I would've never guessed. What did you see?"

"I saw…you two goons," Kaiba whispered, wishing he could be alone so he could touch himself to the dirty memory Atem had sent. "And a black-haired jewelry-wearing gay named Duke."

"Wow, language. I think Duke likes women," Tristan grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Aw, how nice. Atem included us in the memories?"

Kaiba nodded mutely, thinking that his original assumption about Joey and Tristan had been correct. They treated Atem with the same amount of disrespect, and it struck him that this was probably why Atem liked them so much.

Being with Joey and Tristan made him forget his status for a while, and he was treated like a fucking normal human being.

"I'd like to be alone," Kaiba said stiffly, nodding at the door. "Leave."

"Yep, don't gotta tell me twice," Joey leapt to his feet and dashing towards the exit. "C'mon Tristan."

Tristan gave Kaiba a long hard look before he also stood and nodded, offering a helping hand out to Kaiba, but he was viciously ignored.

"Suit yourself rich boy," Tristan sniffed, his footsteps pattering across the stone floors as he hurried out of Kaiba's room and closed the door softly behind himself.

Kaiba lowered his head and stared at his knees, piecing together everything he had just seen.

Atem had sent him his entire life's story, starting with accepting the crown at a young age from a man who Kaiba assumed was Atem's father, and it seemed Atem wasn't prepared for the sudden deaths of his parents—which left him growing up with Mana and Mahad, who were his two closest family members along with the other white-haired merman, who Kaiba assumed was Solomon, the grandfather.

He also had the names and faces of everyone in Atem's court.

The woman with the white sash was Priestess Isis, and she looked nothing like Marik.

A man with a dark tattoo on his forehead was Shada, known for his annoying, dry remarks.

The man with scripture tattooed down the side of his face had been absent, but the man with obnoxious earrings was present. Kaiba had a feeling Mahad wasn't on good terms with any of those men given the way he had snapped at everyone.

So Mana and Mahad were on Atem's side. Mahad was not his enemy.  
Was that what Atem was trying to tell him?

Nodding slowly to himself, Kaiba got to his feet with some effort and eased back into his chair, staring at his bed across the room. Maybe he could also masturbate in front of a mirror and send one back to Atem. Were the beads tears?

Kaiba snatched the bracelet up and waited for the rush of memories again, but nothing happened.

Frowning, he slid each bead through his fingers, noticing that one was larger than all the rest. Weird. Maybe it was a once-a-day type of thing. He had to figure it out without running tests on it because he couldn't compromise the memories inside the beads.

Joey and Tristan were as close as he could get to Atem, so Kaiba resolved to be nicer to the two mermen.

It seemed they were Atem's only friends, and they were up here, with him.

 _Then he must be so fucking lonely down there!_ Kaiba realized with a terrible jolt.

Mai and Anzu were always waiting intermittently at Joey's drop-off spot on the beach, and Mana was more like an annoying little sister.

Intrigued, Kaiba slipped the bracelets onto his wrist, pleased to see that they fit perfectly. He tugged at them, noticing that they had been strung carefully with…a used fishing line.

 _Wow, pollution is a problem_ , Kaiba thought, disgruntled, but he shoved the unpleasant thought away. At least merpeople at the bottom were making the best use of the garbage, and that made him feel marginally better.

* * *

Atem swam slowly beside Mana, feeling extremely drowsy as they floated near the hemisphere of a dimly lit colony.

Tiny dwellings were barely visible in the darkness beneath them, and many were covered with intentionally planted stalks of seaweed dyed jet black. Everything looked unwelcoming and very ominous.

He shivered, wondering why it was so quiet, and Mana gripped his arm painfully, sounding a bit scared.

"W-Where are the hemisphere guards? I mean…I heard things about this colony, but I didn't think…." Her voice trailed off sadly, and Atem glanced around frantically, his uncertainty rising as the silence rang heavily in the air.

"What? What is it? Tell me what people say about this place." Atem hissed. He had half the mind to turn around and leave. It didn't matter how tired he was, because this colony was barely functioning, which meant they could possibly be chased away with violence.

"That…this colony has been ravaged by war," Mana whispered. "Their population has dwindled because they sent most of their hatchlings to fight on land."

Atem grew cold all over and said nothing.  
There was no way Seto Kaiba had ever come from a place like this, so could they leave now?

"Hello?!" Mana called shakily, her voice echoing around them, and no one answered.

"You got your proof," Atem said stiffly, glancing over his shoulder and looking for a rocky wall they could rest against. "Let's leave."

Mana hesitated for a moment before nodding sadly.

Atem looped his arm through hers and began to pull her away, right before they heard a man's voice ring out behind them.

"Halt! Who goes there? Turn around…slowly! State your name and business."

Atem grit his teeth and did as he was told, feeling Mana's arm slip away from his as she held them up, trembling with fear.

"We come in peace," Mana whispered, all her earlier bravery vanishing when she saw the merman floating before them was wearing a helmet with a sharp object protruding from the center. His expression was unreadable, and the staff he held at his side was rusting badly.

"I am King Atem," Atem said nervously, lowering his hands a fraction of an inch. "...From the Kingdom of Muran. We were just passing by. Please let us go."

"Oh! You're from Muran…! Are you Mana?" The man asked, his tone and demeanor changing instantly. He lifted the helmet off his head, letting his long brown locks cascade down his shoulders, and Atem froze, unable to draw his next breath: this man heavily resembled Kaiba…almost too much.

"You got my message?" Mana gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth and turning pink at the cheeks. "Hello! Oh, it's so nice to meet you! You must be Prince Seth!"

"Just Seth. I'm not the prince of anything," the man smiled brightly, and Atem's mouth fell open as he gaped shamelessly.  
Wh-Who was this handsome look-alike?  
This man was _not_ Seto Kaiba?  
But the name even sounded similar.  
Seth and Seto were practically the same name.

His fin was a wonderful shade of dark blue with a hint of green, and his straight brown hair was so long, it swirled around his elbows when he swam forward and bowed politely.

"King Atem. I welcome you humbly into my home," he said deeply, straightening up and reaching his hand out for a shake.

Unable to move, Atem just stared.

His soul had evacuated his body when his mouth fell open earlier.  
Even when this man smiled, he looked…very much like Kaiba.

"Is he…feeling sick?" Seth asked, frowning. He turned and bowed for Mana, kissing her hand gently. "Please, come rest. I know your colony is quite far from here."

He hefted the rusting staff over his shoulder and led them down to the ocean floor, pointing at each dark hole that emerged from the sand, giving them a short tour.

"That is our Medic's Chambers, this is our library…that is the Shrine…" He fell silent as they passed a towering slab of wood in the sand, with hundreds of names carved upon it in neat lines, and Atem shivered again.

Were they names of the dead?

"Dead…or missing," Seth answered quietly with his head lowered. "Please don't look too long. Let's go somewhere more cheerful."

Mana grabbed onto Atems arm again, her hands oddly cold as she whispered into his ear. _"Believe me now?"_

"Why?" Atem argued stubbornly, his cheeks heating up with frustration. "Just because you found Kaiba's underwater twin, I'm supposed to believe you?"

"What did you say?" Seth whirled around quickly; his eyes wide with curiosity. "Say it again. I didn't hear you."

"N-Nothing! I said nothing," Atem said hoarsely, his chest swirling with a mixture of anxiety and terror. "Please, continue."

"No." Seth swam dangerously close to his face, bobbing threateningly up and down in the water before him with his blue eyes narrowed. "Tell me what you said."

Atem opened and closed his mouth nervously, noticing that Seth's eyes were a slightly more oval than Kaiba's, and his cheeks were fuller. They…looked similar but not completely identical.

"Kaiba," Seth said evenly, hearing Atem's passing thought and his eyes darted suspiciously between him and Mana. "Yes, that is the vile human who killed my entire family and drove our colony to near extinction. You don't have to whisper. I won't be offended. Let's talk inside."

He turned around with a soft swish and beckoned for them to follow him through a narrow crevice in the broken hull of a metal ship.

Atem held his breath and Mana's nervous grip nearly wrench his hand off as they swam steadily inside the abandoned vessel. They were welcomed by the warm glow of a human lamp hanging from the ceiling, and several tattered chairs hugged the walls with the white stuffing coming out of their faded red cushions.

"Beautiful décor," Mana squeaked, glancing around nervously at all the human artifacts. "It feels like home."

"Ha," Seth scoffed, and he sat himself gracefully down on a blue tattered couch with golden armrests that were rusting badly at the corners. "This is all debris from the war. We don't have enough men or strength to move anything, so we've settled in."

Mana pulled Atem into a sitting position on one of the red chairs, and he tried his best to keep the distressed emotions from showing on his face, but it wasn't working. Seth was stealing glances at him, as if checking to see if he was comfortable, and his handsome face darkened with eerie familiarity.

"I know this sounds desperate given the state of my colony…" Seth said carefully, lacing his hands around his tail and leaning forward politely with a nod. "But I will gladly Mate compassionately with anyone you deem worthy from your colony, King Atem."

Unable to speak, Atem just nodded, trying to swallow the painful lump stuck in his throat.

This was unreal.  
This had to be a bad dream.  
Seth had said Kaiba drove his colony to near extinction?  
His gentle, loving Kaiba had murdered the entire list of people on the wooden board? That…couldn't be!  
The Kaiba he knew was kind and accommodating.  
His metal ships cleaned up garbage and he had a loving air about him.

Only a cold murderer with no soul could kill thousands of merpeople and live with himself the next day.

"Atem…" Mana whispered, nudging him with her elbow. "Your thoughts are leaking badly…"

"Thank you for your sympathy," Seth said coldly, glancing slowly at the ceiling before he lowered his gaze, and Atem realized he had just rolled his eyes.  
H-How strange. Kaiba didn't roll his eyes like that.

"I have to ask," Seth tilted his head, looking interested. "You talk as if you know this Kaiba personally, but he perished on land. We have confirmation of his death. The first name was Gozaburo. Who is this other Kaiba you speak of? Perhaps a human with the same surname?"

Atem blinked rapidly, trying to remember why that name sounded so familiar. Gozaburo Kaiba…

 _The old man wearing the red suit on the magazine cover!_ Atem's eyes widened as he slowly began to piece everything together.

The name of his father's killer was never spoken aloud in his court, and Solomon only said things like, "your father was taken by the war."

Gozaburo Kaiba was the man Mai mentioned who had started the most recent war, which his father had ended…at the cost of his life

The realization sent him reeling, and Atem lowered his head heavily, feeling tears building painfully behind his eyes.

Gozaburo Kaiba had directly caused the death of his father.

"Ahahaha! I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse our King for his silence," Mana said, faking a laugh and swatting her hand in front of her nose while shooting Atem a glare. "He was recently captured by a man named Kaiba and suffered several moons of shore illness afterwards. He is traumatized."

"A kin of Kaiba?" Seth sat up straighter with a fiery glint in his blue eyes. "What did he look like? Did he hurt you? You seem to have survived, seeing as how you have all your fins and arms still attached. Tell me everything!"

Atem raised his head slowly, finally meeting Seth's gaze for the first time, his heart thundering thickly in his chest as he choked out his words. "…He looked…exactly like you."

Seth's eyes were almost the same shade of blue. His hair was the same shade of brown, and their resemblance was striking.

What little color was left in Seth's face drained quickly, and his mouth fell open in shock.

 _I-Impossible!_ Seth swallowed thinly, gripping the armrest of the couch as he trembled with disbelief.

"Is it?" Mana asked carefully, her voice echoing in the large space around them. "So, it is possible that he is…your kin?"

"I _had_ a brother!" Seth said in a desperate rush, the color returning to his face in a steady flush of red. "A twin brother. We were separated by my horrible parents who thought our chances of survival were better if they sent him to shore. The last time I saw him was decades ago before King Solomon banned hatchlings from surfacing. He can't be alive. The time doesn't add up!"

"What do you mean?" Atem asked through numb lips. Everything was numb.  
He couldn't feel his own heart beating inside his chest anymore due to shock.  
This meant Kaiba was from the ocean, but that couldn't be right!  
Kaiba was human!

"My brother and I were separated for…" Seth held out his arm and began counting inked markings along the inside of his forearm as Atem looked on with horror. So many Marks…it must have been painful….

"Five hundred years," Seth finished, his hand shaking visibly. "If my brother survived as a child on land for five hundred years, I'm sure we would've known. He would've tried to come home! Immortal children don't bode well with humans. We've learned that much."

Atem shook his head instinctively.  
Kaiba was human, and he aged like one.  
It had to be a coincidence.  
But then again…he hadn't seen Kaiba in almost two decades since their meeting at Cathedral Beach.

"A coincidence then," Seth said gruffly, nodding. "Everyone has a twin somewhere. I won't hold out hope. My entire family is gone. There is no one here aside from several Elders. Their kin have moved to other colonies to start families."

"Are you looking to move?" Mana asked gently, glancing around at the tattered furniture that surrounded them. "Our court could use a handsome and resourceful merman like yourself!"

Atem's eyes widened and he tensed. No. That would be bad….  
It was horrible enough he'd been separated from Kaiba, but having a court member who looked like his identical twin would only prolong his own suffering.

"No thank you," Seth declined, sounding cold and distant once more. "I appreciate the invite, but I'm going to remain here. This colony is my responsibility and I won't abandon them until everyone has safely relocated on their own terms."

"Oh, how noble of you," Mana gushed, her ears reddening slightly. "We have room in our colony! We have an excellent Medic who specializes in healing for Elders—"

"No. Thank you," Seth enunciated, and Atem felt a shiver go down his spine at the familiar tone in his voice. It was impossible…

But was it? Kaiba was cunning and smart.  
He had a glass tank that was the most sophisticated human technology he had ever encountered. Kaiba had built his own kingdom on land, and he lived in a castle…on land.  
Those riches took time to acquire, right?  
Gozaburo had adopted Seto at a young age.

Trauma could have accelerated his growth…but that was a far-off theory, just like the rumor where mating with humans caused infertility.

But was there a way to prove it?

"Atem?" Mana gave him a soft pat on the shoulder, gazing deeply into his eyes with her brow furrowed in worry. "What are you going on about?"

"Is there proof?" Atem asked quietly, raking his gaze up and down Seth's toned stomach, feeling his cheeks burn. "Does your twin brother have any identifying marks?"

"Yes, but you'll never see it," Seth scoffed, lacing his arms behind his head and leaning back into the couch. "Our parents Marked us on our scalps when we were hatchlings because the Medics were always confusing us, accidentally feeding us the same nutrients twice…that sort of thing. The moment we grew hair, people could never tell us apart anyway."

Mana gasped and dug her fingernails painfully into Atem's arm, grinning wildly.

"That explains it! That explains why he doesn't have any marks!" she cried, shaking Atem so roughly, he saw green spots dotting his vision. "Right, Atem?! Right?! You'd have to shave his head to see his Mark!"

"I-I…" Atem stammered, completely at a loss for words. It was still a reach. Seth was right about the time not adding up.

Seth rose from the couch and floated towards the entrance of another room, throwing them a solemn look over his shoulder, "your concern is appreciated. I'll bring food, and you can rest here for as long as you need before you journey back."

Atem sank back into the chair, his chest tight with confusion as his mind raced rapidly.

"You see?" Mana said bossily, giving Atem a triumphant smile. "My information is good too! My friends come to visit him sometimes because he's handsome… _and Pure_. The moment I described Seto Kaiba's looks to them, they told me about Seth. He's so totally your type, Atem."

She pulled back with a soft giggle and Atem nodded stiffly, unable to draw his next breath. He wasn't concerned with Seth and his attractiveness anymore. The burning inside his chest was filled with an intense longing to know if Seto Kaiba was really Seth's brother.

Seth returned with two large woven blankets and he tossed them unceremoniously onto the couch with a half-smile.

"This is all I have for guests. Please make do," and he floated quickly out of the room, leaving Mana and Atem sitting together in horrified silence.

"Well, he truly is noble…staying in these horrible conditions for the remaining members of his colony," Mana said finally, grabbing one of the blankets and swimming towards the broken blue couch. "Let's rest quickly so we can make a safe journey back."

Atem gripped the blanket tightly, no longer tired.

"I'm going to talk with him a bit more," he said, pushing the blanket aside and floating towards the door. "You rest for the both of us."

"Don't _talk_ with him too long," Mana said airily, giving him a playful wink. "...or too loudly. I am trying to sleep."

"Nothing is going to happen between us," Atem shot back furiously, his ears burning with humiliation at what Mana was suggesting. "I don't Mate on first sight with strangers."

"Mmmhm," Mana hummed noncommittally and buried her head under the covers, stifling a giggle.

Atem sighed and shook his head, pushing the bubble of doubt down his chest as he drifted through an ornate doorway and into another large room, attempting to find Seth.

He needed answers. Now.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

a super long, bombshell-filled chapter! Kaiba gets memory bracelets from atem and atem learns some shockingggg newsssss!

edited by: taedae

next week 2/14 is my birthday! wish me happy birthdayyyyy because i wanna live to write more chapters lmaoo! :D mehwhehehe

hugs,  
Ugli


	35. Chapter 35

Atem swam through the deserted ship, his skin crawling every time he passed a floating article of clothing. Seth willingly lived here…among death, along with the constant reminder that his family was destroyed by war.  
Why would anyone do this to themselves?  
It was even worse than an eternity in Confinement.

There was no light aside from the faint moonlight coming in from miles above them, which barely helped illuminate the rotting walls with peeling paper and rusty picture frames.

He heard a movement, and he whipped his head around frantically, his heart pounding rapidly as he tried to locate the noise. It was a broken sill rattling against an algae-covered window frame. Several fish were darting in and out of the hole, swimming aimlessly and whispering to each other about him.

Letting out a tight sigh, Atem swam forward a few feet with his eyes nailed to the dark window. What if a large creature came through and—

His shoulder bumped roughly into a wooden pole, and he jerked back, hissing in pain.

It was a human bed, framed with four large pillars on all four corners, and a ratty curtain was draped over the edges.

Was this…?

Seth's head appeared from underneath the cloth, looking disgruntled.

"The king," he said emptily, looking drained. "How can I help you?"

Atem took a deep breath and decided to start with the truth.

"I love him," he said in a rush. "I want to see him on land, but I can't, because my court has bound me underwater with a pact. Can you see him for me?"

Seth frowned handsomely and pushed the curtain back, patting the softness beside him invitingly.

"You can start by telling me his name," he said heavily, looking extremely depressed. "I don't want to hope anymore. I've given up."

The sorrowful expression threw Atem off guard and he sat down hastily beside Seth, patting his arm reassuringly.

"Seto. Seto Kaiba."

Seth drew in a sharp, trembling breath, his eyes widening slightly before they narrowed into thin slits.

"A coincidence" Seth muttered, clasping his hands on his lap, jerking his arm away from Atem's warm hand. "Don't touch me."

"I'm…sorry?" Atem's heart raced against his will as he recalled Kaiba saying the same words to him.

"He shares my name and my looks, but his surname is the one belonging to a murderer," Seth hissed, unable to contain his rage. "I can't accept it. I won't. This means he's forgotten about home. Or, he's been taken in by the murderer and is now committing crimes on land."

"He is not a murderer," Atem said gently, feeling as if fire was running through his veins at the possibly of Kaiba being Seth's brother. "Please, can you do this for me? Perhaps you will gain closure from this too."

Seth looked at him with dead, empty blue eyes.  
Dark lines of misery and sorrow wrinkled at the corners when he frowned, and he shook his head tiredly, his long brown hair floating in the space between them.

"I've had my closure," Seth said rigidly, leaning further away from Atem, seemingly repulsed by physical contact. "His name is carved on the Shrine with mother and father. I'm not rising to shore to meet a murderer."

They sat together in tense silence before Atem decided to break it, holding his hand out firmly with his fingers outstretched.

"Let me give you a map to a private beach," Atem said, seeing his hand shake uncharacteristically with anticipation. "You don't have to go now…or ever, but you'll have this if you ever want to. What if he has remembered home and is trying to come back?"

"Unlikely," Seth said dully, reaching his hand out as he closed his eyes slowly. "But I will accept your map, King Atem."

Seth's hand slipped comfortably through Atem's and Atem instantly felt his cheeks burn with a sudden longing. The feeling of Kaiba's hand in his was something he had missed dearly…!

The moment was over quickly. Seth yanked his hand back, rubbing his wrist lightly with a look of doubt painted across his handsome features.

"I've never seen that shore before, so I will give it a try," the merman said solemnly, his blue eyes darkening. "Now please leave. I'd like to be alone."

"It's close by, we're very near!" Atem whispered breathlessly, resisting the urge to reach out to touch Seth again. "Please, can you check now? He's always waiting atop the rock where my men deposit—"

"I said I'd like to be alone." Seth snapped, lifting the cloth curtain higher above their heads. "Leave me be."

Deeply disappointed, Atem rose from the bed and swam sullenly to the exit, thinking that Seth was only nice for appearances, but underneath, his personality was very rough.

"I can hear you talking about me in your mind," Seth's voice trailed from behind him, sounding angry. "I _am_ nice and its not just for appearances. Seto was always the mischievous one."

Atem turned to give Seth an encouraging smile over his shoulder, trying to hold back tears.

"Yes, so it seems that way," the king said quietly, barely able to speak through his own turbulent emotions, and he disappeared into the other room.

Seth stared at the empty doorway where the fiery red hair was still stamped permanently in his mind, and he shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head.

The way Atem's thoughts raced about Kaiba had made his stomach twist with an emotion he hoped he'd never have to feel again: hope.

Leaning back onto the mattress, Seth gazed up into the darkness above him, running the map over in his mind. Perhaps he would pay that shore a visit, but only after the royals had left.

He didn't want them to see his inevitable break down when he discovered that the man on shore was a sixty-year-old aging human…not his brother.

Turning over onto his side, he shut his eyes tightly and forced sleep to come.

* * *

Kaiba stood on the beach, glancing down at the piles of books, alcohol, and clothes stacked neatly between Joey and Tristan.

Both men were flexing their muscles comically, doing a strange dance over the items, singing and celebrating gleefully.

Kaiba watched them with a heavy heart as they began packing them into large woven sacks, and he swallowed his turbulent emotions forcefully.

Joey and Tristan had said this was their last night here.

It had seemed so abrupt and out of nowhere.  
A warning or a notice would've been nice, but they had had breakfast together like it was any normal day.

All the normalcy was shattered when Tristan loudly announced it was time to go home with his mouth full of food, and Kaiba felt his stomach drop to his feet.

"We are going to be hailed as heroes—no, kings!" Joey crowed, lifting a dark bottle of bourbon up to his face and giving it a kiss. "I heard this is Shadi's favorite drink."

"Which one is that?" Kaiba asked dryly, trying to ignore the horrible tugging inside his chest. "Forehead Tattoo or Face Tattoo?"

"Mr. Earrings," Tristan said, pointing at his ears and swirling them downwards. "The big ankh shaped ones."

"Forehead tattoo?" Joey wrinkled his nose while scratching his head. "That's Shada."

"Whatever," Kaiba said viciously, rolling his eyes. "Where are you taking this shit? This won't fit in your tiny hole in the wall."

"Shada is an Ambassador," Tristan said seriously, giving Kaiba a glare. "He travels to shore often. You might run into him sometime. Say hi and be nice. We're all on the same team."

" _You_ are all on the same team," Kaiba sneered, wondering where his sudden hostility was coming from when he'd vowed to keep his temper in check. "I'm on the outside looking in."

"Classic resentment," Joey said apologetically, hefting a seaweed sack full of books over his shoulder. "These are going to the meeting spot, and Mahad will help us haul this stuff down. He's gonna be so proud of us."

"Tell that fucker I said 'hi'," Kaiba said, feeling as if he was becoming a broken record. He was always hearing about Mahad through other people and it was becoming tiring.

"That fucker will be told!" Tristan crowed, pointing up at the moon with a wide smile. "C'mon. We're gonna be late."

Joey nodded silently and threw Kaiba an uncertain glance over his shoulder, inadverdantly meeting his icy blue gaze which was unusually dark.

"L-Later bro," Joey shrugged, feeling a pang of uneasiness. "It was fun."

"We've spent so much damn time together and that's all you can say?" Kaiba fumed, wondering if careless goodbyes were mermen specialties. "How about 'thank you for letting me stay on your property?' Or, 'thank you for all this shit?' 'We didn't have to get jobs because all we did was spend out of your pocket!'"

"Alright alright, geez!" Tristan dropped the seaweed sack and dashed across the sand to throw Kaiba into a tight bear hug. "Thanks for all your help and generosity you pure-blooded piece of shit. Better?"

"Don't…touch me," Kaiba hissed, wrenching Tristan's arms off his neck as his skin burned from the sudden contact. "Fuck off already."

"Yeah-haah, hit me!" Tristan yelled, wrestling Kaiba to the ground with force. "You'd lose in a spear fight with me underwater any day. I dare you to come challenge me, rich boy!"

Kaiba's vision turned green as Tristan's arm slowly strangled the air out of him, and he kicked out weakly, hearing Joey laugh above him.

"My turn," Joey rolled up his sleeves eagerly. "I wanna choke him too. Do I get points if he doesn't wake up?"

"Ten points," Tristan grinned, shoving Kaiba across the sand towards Joey, and Kaiba felt a foot press down onto his chest as Joey stood over him with a gleeful smirk.

"Awww, right on the ground where you belong with all the other sea urchins and rich, pure bloods," Joey snickered, grinding his heel down onto mercilessly Kaiba's chest. "You're—"

Kaiba grabbed Joey's ankle and gave it a rough twist, hearing him yelp as he pinned him to the ground in one solid motion and he hovered breathlessly over the blond merman, trying to catch his breath as his vision faded in and out.

"Fuck…you…both!" Kaiba hissed as a pang of deep resentment he hadn't felt in a while for Joey seared through him.

"Ow ow ow ow my leg! My leg!" Joey whined, and Tristan dragged him out from underneath Kaiba's grasp, laughing boisterously.

"A leg you won't have for very long," Tristan teased, helping Joey to his feet. "We'll be back by sunrise. Ready? Now we really gotta go." He threw Kaiba a warm look and smiled genuinely, holding his hand out for a friendly shake.

"Thank you for your help, Kaiba," Tristan said seriously, his brown eyes sparkling in the bright silver moonlight. "We really owe you one—AH! No asking about the Chrysalis location, but literally anything else, we can do. Wanna send more love notes to Atem? You got us to deliver them now."

"How reassuring," Kaiba said sarcastically, but the tightness in his chest had been appeased. "I'll be waiting."

Joey nodded silently and averted his eyes, seemingly at a loss for words.

"OK we gotta go," Tristan said for what seemed like the millionth time. "Watch our backs!"

Kaiba blinked rapidly and nodded too. Holy fuck…this was really a goodbye.

He watched as Joey gave him another half-hearted salute as they waded into the water, their silhouettes oddly lumpy due to the heavy seaweed sacks. His arms felt heavy as the two figures sank deeper into the waves, and he finally managed to raise his hand to return Joey's salute, feeling his eyes sting annoyingly with tears.

He wasn't going to be alone. They said they were coming up to deliver love notes.  
But maybe that was just a formality.  
Maybe they would forget about him in the midst of their drunken celebration.

How did they keep time underwater if they were so far below, there was no sun to mark the passing of days? That was how Atem had gone for months without seeing him, thinking it had only been a few weeks, but in reality, it was forever.  
It felt like forever, and for Kaiba, forever was starting all over again as he was reminded of Atem's parting when the two heads of Joey and Tristan bobbed up and down in the waves.

An arm stuck upwards, giving him a solid middle-finger before it disappeared underneath the water, and Kaiba felt the corners of his lips curve upwards into a smile against his will. Cute.

Sinking down into the sand on his knees, Kaiba turned his gaze upwards to the moon, willing himself not to cry. They were not his friends. They were Atem's friends. They had taught him useful skills like spear wielding, cliff scaling, proper swimming postures, and many other tricks he had never bothered to consider.

The moon was a beautiful thin crescent, glowing silver against the indigo sky, and it was blurring in his vision, obscured by tears of frustration. Kaiba bit his tongue so hard, he tasted blood.

Hanging his head heavily, he sat down in the sand, absently tracing patterns with his finger, trying to keep his mind blank. He wasn't alone. They were Atem's friends. They weren't his friends. He would repeat this to himself as many times as he needed.

He heard a telltale splash against the rock in the distance and he jerked his head up, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. Who was it?

Leaping to his feet, he climbed the wet rocky surface with ease, staring down into the dark wavy depths of the ocean, listening to the crashing of the water against the rock, seeing nothing and no one.

"Who's there?" Kaiba shouted, hearing his voice being drowned out by the ocean around him. "Show yourself!"

Underneath the water, Seth clapped a hand to his mouth and willed his mind to remain blank, but his heart was thudding so fast inside his chest, it had become a low hum.  
Th-That voice! It sounded like his own voice.

"I'm jumping down…!" Kaiba called, bending down to sweep his hand into the water to make a threatening splash. "Joey? Is this a prank? This isn't fucking funny, you idiots. What happened to being late?"

There was no answer.

Seth edged around the rock, trying to find a good place to kick off without making a sound, and his fingertips grazed along a small opening. Shocked, he found himself staring into a hole carved deep inside the rock, with a row of empty metal hooks lined along the ceiling.

This was a storage unit and it was very cleverly made.  
The curved, ridged walls were ingenious, designed to keep water in.  
It seemed the contents inside would remain submerged even at low tide.  
What interesting human engineering…unless it wasn't.

"Last fucking chance, you goons! Show your faces or I'm coming down there to fight you," Kaiba said dully, palming his face tiredly. His heart couldn't take any more of this hide and seek.

Didn't they just fucking say a long, drawn-out goodbye?

Seth heard this and decided it was time to leave.  
He kicked off the rock but to his horror, something landed on him heavily from above. Strong arms wrapped around his neck, slowly squeezing the air out of his lungs as they began to tighten.

Lashing out furiously, Seth fought back, but his elbows were pinned tightly to his sides while his attacker wrapped his legs around his chest and clung on tightly.

"Hold…still!" Kaiba growled, seeing a flash of brown hair in the darkness amidst all the splashing. "Tristan!"

Kaiba froze when he discovered the hair was long…too long, and it tangled tightly against his fists while the merperson struggled, and he leaned away frantically with his heart stuck in his throat.

It was girl! Holy fucking shit!

"Who are you?" Kaiba gasped, and an elbow came smashing into his cheek, causing his head to ram painfully into the rock behind him. "FUCK!"

Stars dotted his vision and Kaiba was filled with a renewed sense of rage. Who was this annoying stranger? Was she here to steal his stash?

 _Stash?_ Seth thought anxiously, realizing he was accused of being a thief, and the hands around his neck and tightened again, choking the air out of his body.

 _I don't care about your useless garbage stash, human!_ Seth shouted, managing to free the end of his tail and kicking off the rock with fury, and he bolted for deeper water, hearing the man laugh maniacally while clinging onto his back.

"Yeah, take me down there!" Kaiba jeered, spitting out several strands of long brown hair caught inside his mouth. "Tell me where you fucking live and I'll make your life hell!"

Seth skidded to a halt, realizing with terror that this was indeed a horrible idea.

The legs wrapped around his stomach gave him a stifling squeeze, and Seth let out another pained gasp, reaching up to pry the arms off from around his neck but to no avail.  
This…human was…stubborn! Also, how was he able to talk and breathe underwater?

"Hey! Turn the fuck around," Kaiba growled, digging his claws into the man's chest.  
It was man, he was sure of it now that the hair had settled around them.  
There was a pair of muscular arms and broad shoulders, and the tail was a magnificent dark blue with a tint of green, waving stiffly beneath them, keeping them buoyant.

"Or, I'll stay here until you drown, and then you'll let go," Seth said shakily, regretting this outing immediately. "Release me."

Kaiba froze, his arms loosening with shock as he heard the merman's voice.

It sounded…exactly like his own voice.

Seth heard this thought and he broke free by whipping his tail back and shoving his elbows into the stiff ribs behind him, hearing an _oof!_ as the arms fell away from his neck.

Kaiba doubled over, gasping for breath as a wave of nausea consumed him, and he curled his knees up to his chest, wheezing.

Seth risked a glance behind him as he swam away quickly, but what he saw stopped him in his tracks.

It was a mirror image of himself with shorter hair, curled helplessly in the water clutching his stomach while he gasped for air.

 _What have I done?_ Seth thought frantically, dashing forward to grab Kaiba around the waist and dragged him up to the surface.

The human didn't struggle. Instead, he was cursing fluently in his head as they zipped through the water. Seth rode a short wave to shore and rolled onto the wet sand, shoving the human away from him ferociously.

Coughing lightly, Kaiba pushed himself up on all fours, finally getting a good look at the thief, and his heart nearly stopped in his chest when he found himself gazing into a familiar pair of clear blue eyes which were wide with surprise.

The merman was a mirror image of himself, right down to the slender jawline, but his hair was long, so long that it hung down past his waist and curled wetly in the sand beside his fins.

"Mermaid magic or some shit," Kaiba muttered when he finally found his voice. "Very cool. Joke is over. Who are you?"

He coughed weakly again, his stomach churning with nausea.  
All of this rapid surfacing was making him sick, dammit.

"Mermaid…what? I'm a man!" Seth cried, feeling awfully exposed as a wave lapped thinly at the tips of his fins. Damn…he had rolled too far away from the water in order to give this human air. He'd have to crawl back to the tide in an undignified manner.

"I'll fucking throw you back in," Kaiba growled in response, his head throbbing terribly from the fight. He palmed the water off his cheek and was slightly terrified when it came away dark green in his hands. "Ugh!"

"You're bleeding!" Seth gasped, pointing a shaking finger at the thin trickle of dark green blood running down Kaiba's temple. "I…hit you…"  
What kind of human bled green blood?!

"Who are you?!" Kaiba shut his eyes, riding out another wave of nausea while doing his best not to shout. "Fuck off. The joke isn't funny anymore."

"You think I'm joking?" Seth asked incredulously, propping himself up on his elbows and sitting up with effort. He glanced down at himself and realized he was bleeding from several long claw marks across his chest.

Shooting a terrified glance at the human, he saw pale hands sporting long, untrimmed claws.

Those…were a merman's hands, and they looked identical to his own.

"Stop using my face," Kaiba hissed, curling his lips upwards into a snarl to expose his fangs. "Show yourself before I spit on you."

Seth rolled away angrily, eyeing the water's edge before throwing Kaiba another glance, his heart leaping into his throat when he saw Kaiba's fangs retract as he pressed a hand over his mouth to suppress a dry heave.  
The human was deathly pale, and the tips of his fingers were sporting a greyish tinge. His pupils were dilated, and his heart rate was extremely high.

"You're sick…!" Seth whispered, unable to move from his spot in the sand as he stared incredulously at Kaiba. "…Shore sick!"

"Oh, you fucking think?" Kaiba raged, managing to sit up on his knees and wincing in pain as his lungs ached. "Who the fuck are you? Did Atem send you? How many times do I have to tell you people that I'm actually dying here?"

"You…people?" Seth echoed, curling his fingers so tightly in the sand, his skin burned. "Merpeople?"

"Yes! Fuck—!" Kaiba shook the water out of his hair and took several deep breaths, trying to compose himself. Who the hell was this guy? He had popped out of nowhere and was asking stupid questions. What's more, he was wearing his face.

"Do you have strange dreams?" Seth asked immediately, feeling as if a fire had been lit deep inside his chest. "Do you remember anything from your childhood? What did your mother and father look like?"

Kaiba gave the merman a long hateful look.  
No. He wasn't in the mood to answer intrusive questions from a stranger look-alike.

"Get off my beach," Kaiba growled, slowly attempting to stand, and his knees trembled violently, not cooperating with the rest of his body. "Shit."  
That fight had really weakened him.  
Joey had warned him about overexerting himself.

"What color are your tears?" Seth pressed, inching forward across the sand on his stomach, holding his hand out invitingly to Kaiba. "Do you know…who I am?"

Kaiba pointed angrily back to the water with a shaking finger. "Get off…my property. You haven't answered my questions so I'm not going to answer yours. If you weren't sent by Atem, fuck off. This isn't a rest stop."

"Your property?" Seth fumed, his anger flaring quickly to match Kaiba's. "You can't own land touching the ocean."

"Yeah, actually you can, and if you don't know shit, don't come by anymore," Kaiba raged, grabbing a fistful of sand and resisting the urge to lob it at his look-alike's face. "You annoy the fuck out of me, and I don't know why. I'm leaving."

Rising unsteadily to his feet, Kaiba swayed on the spot before walking slowly back towards the house, hearing the merman call out frantically to him.

"Wait please…Seto! Is your name Seto?"

Shutting his eyes furiously, Kaiba rode out the low bubble of nausea clawing its way up his chest as he responded in his head.

 _No. My name is 'fuck off'._

Seth's mouth dropped open in dismay, watching the human stagger away in the darkness.  
Such hostility! It sounded so rehearsed, and he was…getting father away, so he called out desperately again, "Come back! I do have a message from Atem! He came by my colony to visit, and he gave me a map to this shore!"

Kaiba blinked, freezing on the spot as he realized what this meant.

Atem had found his fucking twin underwater and sent him up here? Why?  
To show him that he was replaceable?  
That merman was real? He wasn't a fucking illusion?

An alien rage reared its ugly head and swallowed him whole as he whirled around to glare at the merman lying stomach-down on the sand in the distance. Hell…fucking no. He was not going to let Atem replace him!

His energy came back in a sudden rush and Kaiba sprinted back towards the merman, his vision burning red as he tackled the man in the sand and wrapped his hands around his throat, squeezing him tightly while hissing, "Did you fuck him?! He's mine, you piece of shit! Answer me!"

Seth gasped for air, thrashing his fins in the sand and raking his claws down Kaiba's forearm, drawing a stream of blood, but Kaiba seemed not to notice. His clear blue eyes were narrowed into hostile slits and his expression was positively ugly with his fangs bared and his nose wrinkled.

 _I-I can't…breathe!_ Seth gasped thinly, trying to roll away but that only caused Kaiba's hands to tighten further around his neck. _We're…brothers! Don't…kill me you…idiot!_

"Brothers? Is that your excuse? Too bad I don't like sharing," Kaiba answered coldly, digging his knees tighter in the sand beside the merman's slender hips, feeling frothy, acidic spit gathering behind his teeth. "I'll melt your face off. Answer my question! Did you fuck him?!"

Seth shook his head frantically, his lungs bursting for air as his head throbbed painfully with every passing second. NO! Mating with Atem was the last thing on his mind! The girl Mana was prettier by far…!

Kaiba heard this thought and hesitated, contemplating letting him up just as long arms jerked upwards and locked around his neck, and he was rolled forcefully onto this side in the sand.

The merman dug his elbows onto his shoulders, pinning him down by leaning heavily on top of him, gasping for air as he glared venomously down at him, his wet brown hair hanging in thin strands off his shoulders, grazing his cheeks.

"It's me, you idiot!" Seth panted, his throat burning with a horrible fire as he doubled over, coughing violently. "You were always so aggressive. This is why you got sent up here! You haven't changed!"

Kaiba stared resolutely up into his twin's face, taking in the slightly rounder cheeks, the same blue eyes and slender nose that dipped down into a pair of feminine lips which were parted with desperation.  
This crazy loon was talking like he knew him. As if.  
Who was spreading these lies about him underwater? He wasn't a fucking fish.

"You don't remember…" Seth whispered, raking his gaze down Kaiba's blank expression which was clouded with anger. His arms were trembling with weakness, so he rolled gently off of Kaiba's chest and onto his back, gazing up into the dark night sky, his chest heaving.

"I don't know who you are," Kaiba answered dryly, also trying to catch his breath. He finally found his voice, but the pit of anger was still bubbling low inside his stomach.  
Tiny puddles of blood dotted the sand around them.  
He needed answers, now.

"Then it doesn't matter," Seth said emptily, biting back tears of anger and frustration. "It's better this way."

"Oh no you fucking don't," Kaiba hissed, losing his patience with this cryptic merman. "You don't pop up here telling me shit like ' _we're brothers'_ and say it doesn't matter. It clearly does."

Seth stared at him for a long second before he launched into a tirade like a man possessed, speaking so fast Kaiba could barely keep up.

"Your favorite color is the most common color, blue, like the sky and the ocean. You bully people for fun and can't make friends because of your arrogance. You like to fight, and you're too smart for your own good. You hate following rules, and you break them the first chance you get. How am I doing so far?" Seth seethed, his heard thundering in his chest as he saw Kaiba's eyes widen slightly.

Was it enough?

"So you've read about me in a magazine, congrats," Kaiba rolled his eyes, sitting up in the sand and tucking his knees to his chest, trying to quell his own rage. "Want me to make assumptions about you?"

"There, you see?" Seth cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Do you have trouble getting rest? You've always been a troubled sleeper, but you have the mind of Scholar and the body of a Warrior. You were always stronger and faster, is that what you want to hear?"

"Thanks for the compliments," Kaiba shot back nastily, feeling a trickle of blood run down his arms again and he wiped it away with disgust.

"Your blood isn't even red!" Seth continued, pointing a shaking finger at the dark green stain on Kaiba's skin. "Look at your hands, your claws! Can you hear people's thoughts? You can speak and breathe underwater. Do you think that's what normal humans can do?"

"Of course I know it's not fucking normal," Kaiba spat, growing tired of the merman's obvious statements. "Are you done?"

Seth glared, swallowing his rage as he folded his arms across his chest, determined to continue. "You cry Tears of Light and you're very stubborn."

Kaiba shot his look-alike a withering look. What the hell were tears of light?

"Clear white tears!" Seth exclaimed, his annoyance rising to an all-time high. "Humans call them diamonds. Perhaps you've been selling them, so you use the money to buy…land?" The merman gestured at the empty beach, sounding close to tears himself.

Kaiba stared blankly at the horizon, trying to discern where the sky ended and the ocean began. This fish was saying they were related. That was fucking impossible.  
Mokuba was his brother, and they had been together since the orphanage.  
If they were related, it was only purely because they looked similar.

"You really don't remember me?" Seth whispered, reaching out to press his hand over Kaiba's hand and giving it a tight squeeze. "What happened to you? Have you really forgotten? Look at me!"

Kaiba slowly swiveled his head around to gaze into the merman's eyes which were dark with sorrow. He waited for a jolt of familiarity, a short vision, a flashback…anything, but his mind remained blank.

"No, I don't know you," Kaiba said plainly, shrinking his hand away, and the merman looked torn.

"N-Not even my name?" The merman choked, and his eyes glistened with tears. "…Nothing?"

"Nothing," Kaiba repeated, giving the merman a stiff nod. "Now you said Atem visited you. What did he want?"

"To confirm if we are brothers!" Seth cried angrily, curling his fingers in the sand and resisting the urge to throw a fistful of it at his twin. "I've been alone all this time, thinking you had died! How dare you take on the last name of the human who murdered our parents! You want to be treated like a mass murderer? I hear they're calling you Seto… _Kaiba!_ "

Kaiba blinked rapidly, feeling himself sinking deeper into the sand while his mind raced with furious confusion. What the fucking hell?

"Tell me all of it," Kaiba felt his lips move against his will and his voice had gone strangely hoarse. "If you think we're related, how did I end up here?"

"You were _sent_ up here!" Seth shook all over, unable to contain himself, so he chose to lie down in the sand on his back before he continued talking.

"Before the Era of King Solomon, a war was brewing between humans and merpeople for petty riches. A queen was imprisoned, and the people panicked—"

"A queen? Atem's mother?" Kaiba interrupted gruffly and Seth gave him a sad nod.

"We were fresh hatchlings, and our people thought we would win the war if they sent _children_ to shore," Seth said, pressing a hand to his forehead as he recounted the horrible events of the past. "Between me and you, they chose you! We cried so much trying to fight the Draft, and when we couldn't, you tried to kill yourself! You don't remember that? You were barely a decade old when you tried swimming into a volcano to avoid Shore Service!"

Kaiba shook his head slowly. Fairy tales. This merman was spouting fairy tales.

"Then, after the war had ended, I heard that humans were hunting immortal children," Seth continued, giving Kaiba's hand another squeeze, feeling the human stiffen in his grasp. "So Solomon issued a decree saying children were no longer allowed to serve as tactical warriors. Several hundred years passed before another war was started by a man named Gozaburo Kaiba. He discovered our existence and wanted to cage us in glass tanks for money."

"Sounds like him," Kaiba said coldly, dragging a finger in the sand slowly, remembering all the investments Gozaburo had made towards war machinery. "Heartless bastard."

He couldn't remember anything before that. Why?

"King Aknamkanon, who is Atem's father, fought this war bravely and lost his life," Seth said, his voice shaking with emotion, still lying flat on his back. "Our parents rose to shore to fight, and they tried looking for you. Did they find you? They did, didn't they? Is that why you're alive?!"

Kaiba threw his twin a nervous glance and decided to lay down in the sand beside him, gazing up at the silver stars twinkling in the sky, his head spinning with an oncoming headache while the tide rose, and a warm wave lapped at his ankles.

"I've never had parents," Kaiba said emotionlessly, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath. "All I remember is being shuttled from orphanage to orphanage with Mokuba beside me. I chose Gozaburo because I saw that old man as an easy target. I forced him to adopt us. He was a way out and nothing else."

"Who is Mokuba?" Seth turned his head in the sand to gaze wide-eyed at Kaiba. "A friend you made?"

"Mokuba is my little brother," Kaiba muttered, frowning. "But he's not so little now. He's having a kid. Can you fucking believe that? It's a girl, or so they think."

"I don't understand—but…" Seth blinked wildly, his chest tightening with dread and confusion. " _I'm_ your brother!"

"Stop fucking saying that with no proof!" Kaiba hissed, propping himself up on one elbow to glare at his twin. "Give me a blood sample."

"No need!" Seth snapped, sitting up too. "Just take one of my memories and see if it matches one in your head."

"I have no memories of you!" Kaiba breathed, beginning to lose his patience. "I rely on science. Memories can be faked."

"Our memories are forever," Seth choked, losing his resolve the longer Kaiba glared daggers at him. "You've probably buried them because you experienced trauma…!"

Kaiba grit his teeth and said nothing.

"Take one now," the merman insisted, reaching both hands out shakily as he sat up, waving his tail slowly against an oncoming wave, and he shivered. "Come on. I know just the one."

Kaiba swallowed thinly, staring at Seth's tail waving gently in the water that was now pooling around their waists. The tide had risen, and the sky was turning a wonderful light blue.

After a moment of deliberation, Kaiba shook his head, looking away guiltily.

"I don't want to see whatever hallucinations you're going to show me. I don't believe in that bullshit."

Seth withdrew his hands, looking deeply offended before nodding slowly, reminding himself that it was going to take a while to hammer his way through Seto's defenses, so he had to be patient.

They sat together in heavy silence, watching the sun rise steadily over the horizon, and Kaiba tried his best not to stare at Seth's tail. It was glimmering with beautiful sheens of green and blue, looking almost transparent underneath the steadily brightening sky.

"I'll be leaving now," Seth said finally, swallowing the thick lump in his throat as he inched towards the water. "I'll come back to convince you again."

"Or how about this? Don't," Kaiba responded viciously, his eyes watering as a strip of sunlight caught him in the eye. "You're annoying—"

Seth reached forward and placed a warm hand on Kaiba's cheek, catching him off guard.

"You annoy me too," Seth said firmly, grateful that his voice wasn't shaking. "…because we've always annoyed each other. You are my blood, and I won't abandon you up here. I will find a Chrysalis for you using all of my efforts. I don't care how illegal it is. I will do this for you…for us."

Kaiba blinked rapidly, unable to lean away from the warm hand resting on his cheek and his chest tightened painfully.  
Sure. He wasn't going to say 'no' to extra help. This fool was fucking crazy anyway. He could think whatever he wanted as long as a Chrysalis was within his reach.

Seth's hand slipped away from his face, and Kaiba felt his skin burn.

"You've got the wrong person," Kaiba said finally, watching his look-alike push off the shallow beach and bob steadily against a wave, his fins already hidden underneath a rush of foam.

"The more you the talk, the more convinced I am that you are my kin," Seth replied aggressively, giving Kaiba one final look over his shoulder. "Get some rest. I will bring you medicine and leave it in the cave underneath if you're not here."

"I won't be here," Kaiba said instantly, and Seth gave him a warm smile before sinking slowly into a larger oncoming wave.

"I don't even know your name!" Kaiba shouted, rising to his feet and giving the sand a rough kick. To his mild surprise, an answer came in thought-form.

 _My name is Seth! See you tomorrow, Seto._

Grinding his teeth, Kaiba stalked off back towards his house, his blood boiling with a strange, indescribable fury.

Why couldn't he remember anything the merman was telling him about his so-called past? It sounded like he was listening to a story about someone else's life.

Even Joey was convinced at once point that he had been a fish at birth.

They clearly had him mistaken for someone else.

Biting back a sigh, Kaiba paused mid-step and took a moment to enjoy the beauty of the yellow sun casting white sparkles off the surface of the water before he entered the house.

His phone was vibrating like crazy on the foyer counter, and Kaiba raced forward to snatch it up, seeing Mokuba's name flashing across the screen.

Hastily answering it, Kaiba pressed the phone to his ear. "Moku—"

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Mokuba shouted, sounding incensed. "MY WIFE IS IN LABOR! Why can't I reach you?! Even Isono is here! Are you at the beach house? Get here now!"

Kaiba's stomach dropped to the floor and he tightened his fingers around the edge of his phone, nodding frantically even though he knew Mokuba couldn't see him through the screen.

"Yes, Mokuba, I-I'm coming—" Kaiba breathed, but the phone had already clicked off in his ear.

Cursing, Kaiba raced up the stairs to grab a dry change of clothes along with a dosage of scales.  
Holy fucking shit. The appearance of his twin in merman form was throwing him off.

 _I'll deal with him later!_ Kaiba berated himself, nearly tripping on his own feet down the stairs while his ears rang with a tinny sound.

Everything was going to be fucking fine.  
Mokuba was having a kid…!

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Oipppppppppppppp! Little bit of a time skip. Just a several months but enough for a human baby to emerge!

hugs!

-Ugli


	36. Chapter 36

Kaiba burst into the hospital through the back entrance, ignoring the vicious glares from nurses along the hall.

Counting the closed doors as he passed each luxury birthing suite, he scanned the nameplates, finally seeing Mokuba's name at the end of the hall and hastily knocked on the door, Isono called out to him, sounding relieved.

"Master Kaiba, you made it," his manservant whispered, pulling the door back to let him in. Kaiba gave him a stiff nod, and stepped inside quietly.

Mokuba was sitting on a plush couch in the back of the room by the window, gently cradling a bundle in his arms, looking frazzled and exhausted. He threw his older brother a sharp glare but reminded himself to stay civil. His wife was half-asleep in the bed, medicated, looking drained, but content.

"Nice of you to show up," Mokuba said coldly, trying to stuff the resentment back down his chest. "You can't even be here for the birth of my kid?"

Kaiba clenched his jaw and sat down beside Mokuba, trying to find the words for an apology, but all he could manage was, "I'm here, aren't I?"

"Boys…" Isono smiled warmly, taking a seat on Mokuba's other side, placing a warm hand on the younger Kaiba's shoulder. "Don't fight. Ayame-san is resting…let's celebrate quietly together."

Kaiba stared at the white bundle in Mokuba's arms, his stomach twisting strangely as he heard a soft gurgle, and he forced himself to look away.

There was a tense silence in the room with nothing but the humidifier's soft hissing filling the air, and Mokuba couldn't stand it anymore.

He turned towards Seto with a forced smile, his arms shaking as he held the baby out to his older brother. "Want to hold him?"

"Him?" The blood drained rapidly from Kaiba's face as he wondered if he'd heard it wrong. "I thought you were having a girl."

"When did I ever say that?" Mokuba breathed, shaking his head tiredly. "We were always having a boy. Do you want to hold him or not?"

Kaiba opened his mouth, aching to decline, but he caught a sharp thought from Ayame in the bed across the way; ' _Why doesn't he want to hold the baby?!',_ so he nodded, reaching out to gather the soft blankets in his arms.

A tiny, wrinkled, pink face was buried in the folds, and Kaiba's chest tightened uncomfortably again, and the baby began to sink heavier into his arms. The scent of infant powder was so overwhelming, it was causing his head to spin. What's more, everyone's thoughts were unusually loud as he continued to stare into the newborn's face.

 _Seto is like an emotionless statue. Seriously, I am so fed up with him. I don't care if he can hear me. I even told him to mark this week on his calendar and he clearly didn't._

 _Master Kaiba looks uncomfortable, but the baby is so precious! I hope he will change his mind soon and think about having one as well._

 _Mokuba-kun is being so quiet…haha…. That probably scared him a bit…. Gosh…. I want him to be handsome…. The Kaiba family has good genes, I'm so relieved…._

"What's his name?" Kaiba choked and recoiled slightly when he felt the baby move in his arms.

"Noah!" Ayame said happily from the bed, raising her arm in a weak wave. "Cute, right?"

"Yes." Mokuba beamed, and he rose to sit on the chair beside his wife's bed, bending forward to give her kiss on her hair-matted forehead. "He's perfect. You did amazing."

Kaiba watched this scene with rising disbelief, growing steadily more numb as the baby began to fuss and cry in his arms.  
What…universe was he living in?  
He felt like he was watching a movie of his life, but he wasn't the main character. Mokuba was.

"Let me take him," Isono suggested hastily, and Kaiba gladly handed the infant over, suppressing a shudder. The idea of another human being in his care was terrifying.

Ayame nodded gratefully at Isono, holding her arms out for the child. "He's hungry."

Mokuba stepped back and let Isono pass, giving Seto another glare, but realizing his brother was sitting with his shoulders hunched, looking oddly small.

"Seto, let's talk outside," Mokuba said quietly, already moving towards the door.

Kaiba rose to his feet automatically, eager to leave the room, knowing he was walking willingly into another one of Mokuba's lectures, but he didn't care. Anything to be away from the newborn.

The door closed softly behind him and, as predicted, Mokuba rounded on him furiously.

"I know you don't care, but can you _pretend_ to care for at least two seconds?" Mokuba fumed, stepped closer to Seto until he was nose-to-nose with his brother. "Don't wrinkle your nose when you hold him. If you want to spend any time with him, you're either going to shape up or stay out of our way."

Kaiba nodded his head mutely, his ears burning hot with rage and embarrassment when he saw two nurses walking past them quickly with their heads down.  
They were being heard.  
Could they have this conversation somewhere else?

"I'm hiring two full-time nannies, a man and a woman," Mokuba continued, not bothering to keep his voice down in the hallway. "Isono will also be around to help. What are _you_ going to do?"

"…Stay out of your way," Kaiba repeated dully, his stomach sinking to his feet. "I'm such a huge fucking disappointment anyway, isn't that right?"

"No!" Mokuba fumed, sounding close to tears. "I just want you to be here, Seto! With me, with us, mentally and physically present! Care to tell me where you were tonight?"

Kaiba winced at Mokuba's tone, feeling like a trapped animal backed into a corner as he replied carefully, "I was…sending Joey and Tristan off."

Mokuba folded his arms across his chest silently, looking startled.

"What? Where are they going?"

"Home," Kaiba said heavily, feeling as if his heart was being squeezed by a giant fist as he tried not to think about it.

"They live in Japan. Where the hell is 'home'?" Mokuba asked, raising an eyebrow. "You mean, another city? That still doesn't take _all night_."

Kaiba gave Mokuba a long stare before he decided to tell the truth. "They're merpeople, alright? They live in the ocean. I had to haul their shit to the beach and help them pack."

Mokuba narrowed his eyes, his mind racing as he wondered if Seto was making stuff up again to get into his good graces.

"…And you don't believe me, which is fine…" Kaiba sighed, pressing a palm across his eyes, bright spots dotting the corners of his vision. "I won't bother convincing you."

"Wait, if they're _'merpeople'_ like you said, does that mean they're never coming back?" Mokuba asked, his heart pounding thickly in his throat as he realized Seto was now going to be friendless. "They're gonna visit, right?"

Kaiba resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Yeah, kid. They're gonna _'visit'_ , just like how Atem said he was going to _'visit'_. As fucking if."

"What? Who's Atem?" Mokuba asked, frowning in confusion. "Another friend you made recently?"

Kaiba raised his head slowly, staring blankly into Mokuba's face, taking in his high, hollowed cheekbones and his long black hair when he realized…he'd never spoken much about Atem to his younger brother.  
He'd been quietly and obsessively chasing the spiky-haired merman, suffering silently at every turn.

"The first merman," Kaiba said steadily through numb lips. "The one with spiky hair."

Mokuba's mouth dropped open and he held his hands up in defeat, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I give up," he said plainly. "I don't want to hear about fish people, or your _vitamins_ , or the spiky-haired merman anymore. They ruined your life, Seto. All you're doing is chasing this fairy tale!"

"They didn't ruin my life!" Kaiba argued, his blood boiling as a small voice in the back of his asked if this was indeed true. "And it's not a fairy tale if it's real. You saw it too!"

"Yeah, and I thought, ' _cool, mermaids exist'_ , and then I went on with my life," Mokuba shot back, his eyes shining with tears of frustration. "I didn't lock myself in a lab for years, drowning rats and guinea pigs while talking to myself all the time, doing hard drugs, or going on crazy, 'round-the-world road trips to every beach imaginable trying to find mermaids again!"

Kaiba fell silent, understanding that this was really how Mokuba had seen him for the past several years. A deluded recluse who had lost his touch with reality, chasing a phenomenon that wasn't likely to happen again.

Mokuba wasn't finished. He was getting hysterical, seemingly unable to stop himself from unloading.

"Do you see yourself sometimes? When was the last time you looked in a mirror? You're dressed like shit, and you look like shit. Did you get into a fight with Joey or something? You've got a bruise forming on your cheek. Pull yourself together Seto, or you'll never get to know my kid."

Kaiba set his jaw, still at a loss for words.  
Did Mokuba want him around the kid or not?  
He was giving horrible mixed signals.

"Oh, and since you've been practically living at the beach and guest house, we've converted your study into the nursery, and we put up baby wallpaper," Mokuba continued ruthlessly. "Your bedroom has been turned into Isono's room because he's moved out of the second floor to be with us on the fifth floor."

Nodding stiffly, Kaiba felt another solid pang of resignation sear through his body.  
Everything that was his had been replaced to make room for the baby.

"We moved your stuff into Isono's room," Mokuba ran a hand through his long hair with a tired sigh. "I wanted to ask if it was okay to do that, but you were always out with those two clowns, so I figured you wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, I don't mind," Kaiba said hoarsely, surprised his voice still worked. It had been a few months since he had seen the inside of his study, anyway. He'd almost forgotten what it looked like. The last time he sat behind his desk, he'd been reeling from visions Atem sent him through the beaded bracelets.

The entire hallway had become strangely empty, and Kaiba realized even the nurse who managed the front desk had politely excused herself.  
He lowered his head furiously, wondering if he ought to feel ashamed.  
Their fight was becoming very…public.  
Was Mokuba finished? He was tired of being constantly attacked for his lifestyle.  
So what if he was chasing mermen?  
Was it supposed to be his fault that one kept popping up after another?

"…And one last thing before we go back in," Mokuba said shakily, resting a hand heavily on Seto's shoulder. "Isono and I both agreed that you need to start being more social. So…if you want to spend any time with Noah, you're going to see a matchmaker first."

Kaiba snapped his head up, his heart thundering in his chest as he gazed into Mokuba's grey eyes, the words echoing painfully around in his head.  
W-What?! A matchmaker? As in…for arranged marriages?

"What the fuck?" Kaiba breathed, his blood slowly boiling with frustration and anger. "You're forcing me to get married?"

"No," Mokuba said staunchly, letting go of Seto's shoulder. "Just…dress up. Go back to being you. Wear a tie once in a while and look nice. Eat a meal in a restaurant with other people around. It helps if there's someone sitting across the table from you. You're not getting any younger."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kaiba fumed, losing his composure as he realized what Mokuba was insinuating.

"It means I think you're old, Seto," Mokuba replied heartlessly. "Don't get me wrong. You look great for your age, but if you want to be even a _little bit_ normal, don't hang around guys 15 years younger than you who are basically college dropouts. You're 40. Stop acting like you're 20."

Kaiba blinked rapidly, trying to digest Mokuba's words, but they were harsh, and they stung.

"They don't need school—"

"Yeah, cuz Joey and Tristan are _fish people_ , I got it," Mokuba sneered, hiding his concern with rage. "Make excuses for your pathetic friends. I don't care. Do you want to be in Noah's life as a positive influence or not?"

Kaiba ground his teeth furiously, nodding. "I'll make you a bet right now that he'll turn out to be just as bratty as you."

"Well, then you'll need to stick around to find out." Mokuba finally cracked a smile. "Do the matchmaking, okay? I'll email you the info. Cover that bruise and let me know if you want to live on the fifth floor with us, or if you'd rather stay in the guest house. I don't care either way."

Kaiba swallowed thinly, nodded again because his voice had died.

Mokuba gave him a quick hug and stepped back inside the suite, leaving him standing alone in the hallway.

Sagging against the wall, Kaiba folded his arms and hugged himself tightly, trying not to let Mokuba's words affect him, hating the terrible, curling and clenching feeling building low in his stomach.

Biting back tears of defeat, Kaiba glanced at his shoes, noticing they were worn at the edges and the tops were no longer shiny. In fact, they looked quite dull.

Scuffs and bits of sand were stuck in the seams. His laces were faded and tattered from the ocean water.

Breathing heavily, Kaiba slowly reached a hand up to gingerly pat the swelling around his eye, cursing when he was met with a jolt of pain. Mokuba was right, as usual. He was a fucking mess.

These types of soul-baring, teeth-clenching conversations always seemed to happen at pivotal moments in both their lives, and Kaiba rocked back and forth on his heels, feeling as if he was sinking into a void with nothing and no one to catch him at the bottom.

His life was passing by faster than he could blink.  
Mokuba's life was happening before his very eyes, and he was doing nothing about it.  
He was being…a shitty older brother, always the one being lectured, always showing up late for important events…like Mokuba's graduation speech, Mokuba's engagement party, Mokuba's rehearsal dinner….and now, for the birth of his kid.

Taking another deep, shuddering breath, Kaiba straightened up and forcefully composed himself. He was going to keep it together.  
He wasn't going to lose his shit.  
This wasn't the end of the fucking world.

Mokuba wanted him to be there for the kid, so…he would.  
He would do the damn matchmaking sessions to finally shut Isono up and show Mokuba he was ready to return into society as a normal, functioning human being.  
He would wear suits and ties again for the sake of appearances, while at the same time, continue meditating underwater and spending his nights on the beach.  
It was possible to do both.

 _I am a fucking mess_ , Kaiba clenched his fists in his pockets and wondering what else about himself he'd let slip.  
Deciding he didn't want to find out, he turned and faced the door, mentally preparing himself to congratulate Mokuba's wife.  
He was going to keep it together.  
He wasn't going to lose his shit.  
This wasn't the end of the fucking world.  
He needed to live his life.  
For all he knew, Atem was probably happily living his, without a care in the world.

* * *

Atem locked himself inside his room, trying to avoid the rowdy celebrations happening outside.

The entire kingdom was throwing a Homecoming for the warriors, and Atem knew if Joey had anything to say to him personally, he would know where to find him.

Throwing himself down on his bed, Atem gently passed the pad of his finger over the teardrop ring, seeing a familiar flash of Kaiba smiling down at him before it disappeared quickly.

Sighing, Atem rolled over onto his side, knowing he was being rude for running off during the party, but he couldn't help it. Everyone was talking about how amazing the trains, the food, and the clothes were. He couldn't stomach it anymore.

It only reminded him more of Kaiba and how far apart they were.

A rough knock sounded at his door and Atem didn't sit up.

"Come in," he said dully, pressing a tired hand over his eyes.

Joey burst into his room breathlessly with a large seaweed sack over his shoulder. He tossed it onto the sandy floor and tackled Atem into a lung-crushing hug.

"Dude! I missed you!" Joey cried as Atem struggled weakly in his grasp. "Why aren't you outside with everyone else? I got lots to tell you!"

"I don't…want to…hear it!" Atem hissed, elbowing Joey off and sitting an arm's length away, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. "Listening to everyone talk about walking on land only makes me angrier!"

Joey slid onto the floor, nodding silently.

"I get it," he said carefully, reaching the end of his tail to hook around the drawstring of the seaweed sack. "Kaiba knows too. I got two more of these, just for you. I can't bring them all now or I'll get in trouble for trafficking human artifacts, so we'll wait until all the excitement dies down before I bring you the other ones."

Atem stared at the dark sack, unable to believe his ears. "What?"

"Yeah, and he even told me I gotta do a whole presentation for you and everythin', but I'm not gonna do that," Joey said hastily, his ears reddening. "So here…I'll just give it to ya'."

He reached into the sack and began arranging the items neatly across the foot of Atem's bed. There were many jewelry boxes, a set of clothes, various books and magazines….

The merking floated excitedly over Joey's shoulder, his heart leaping with joy when he spotted a magazine with Kaiba's face on it.

"He put himself on the cover!" Atem cried happily, diving forward to scoop it up. "He looks…so good!"

The paper had been preserved with plastic, and it shone wonderfully underneath the low lights. Kaiba looked sharp and handsome, wearing a slick black suit while sitting on a bench surrounded by roses. The whole image looked…unreal.

"Eh," Joey replied with a shrug. "But hey, he really made our visit comfortable. He let us stay in one of his houses, can you believe that? Tristan and I had the whole place to ourselves! We didn't have to work at all! Tristan quit his job a week after we moved in with him."

"I believe it," Atem said firmly, gripping the magazine so tightly, his fingertips turned white. "He's kind and generous, even if foul words come out of his mouth. It's his actions that speak the loudest."

Joey sighed and nodded, leaning against the bed and fiddling nervously, looking as if he was fighting with himself before he raised his head to give Atem an apologetic smile.

"I got somethin' to tell ya', and you're…not gonna like it," Joey said quietly.

Atem eased down onto the floor, patting his friend on the shoulder encouragingly.

"You can tell me. What is it?"

Joey swirled his finger in the sand, unable to meet Atem's eyes as he spoke, "Kaiba isn't…human. He's sick, and I'd give him another decade at least…I mean, his skin is turning gray. You know?"

"He's ingesting scales," Atem said readily, wondering why he was so adamantly telling everyone Kaiba was human when everyone seemed to believe the exact opposite. "While you were away, Mana and I visited a colony near the surface, and I saw a man who looked exactly like Kaiba. She was trying to convince me that Kaiba could've come from that colony, but even that merman thought it was unlikely. Kaiba would've had to survive as a hatchling for several human lifetimes!"

Joey said nothing and remained silent. Based on what he'd seen, Kaiba was cunning and extremely intelligent. It was very possible Kaiba could've dodged death multiple times and survived.

"Well, I gotta go," Joey said hoarsely, rising up and brushing the sand off his fins. "I gotta report to Mahad. Enjoy the loot, okay?"

Wait! You don't believe me?" Atem's eyes were wide as he watched his friend swim to the door and rest his hand on the knob.

"It's not that I don't believe ya' bud," Joey said heavily, still avoiding his gaze. "It's just that…I've spent a lot of time with him. Way more than you have, and I saw him behave…exactly like us."

"How?" Atem breathed, feeling himself sinking deeper into the floor with dread. "What is the most solid proof you have of that?"

"He knows how to throw a spear to kill," Joey said flatly, remembering the impromptu sparring on the beach. "He knows merspeak, Atem! How do ya' explain that?!"

Atem opened and closed his mouth, struggling to find a reason.

"He knows how to preserve these books fer us to bring down," Joey continued softly. "And he knows exactly what drinks all the warriors like. Oh, and…that ring you're wearing. There's ten more like it in those jewelry boxes."

"It's the dead scales," Atem said firmly, finding his next breath hard to draw. "He told me himself. He wasn't lying. He would never lie to me."

"Yeah, because he can totally lie about vomiting blood, and the nausea…and his claws, Atem! He had fucking claws!" Joey cried, gripping his hair anxiously. "And ya know, he was pretendin' like he didn't know what anything was, but he knows! He made this thing that blocks thoughts! He has needles filled with slugs so he can breathe underwater! He saved my life with those!"

Atem blinked rapidly, shaking his head. Yes, because Kaiba was smart!  
Of course he could do all those things! The diamond tears, the merspeak, the claws—those were all effects of the scales. Kaiba had said so himself.

"I gotta go, buddy," Joey said breathlessly, looking worn and anxious. "Mahad is waitin' for me. See ya later."

He hastily edged out of the room and shut the door behind himself, startled when he saw Mahad floating a few feet away with his arms crossed, looking grave. His staff was pressed against his chest, and the spear looked unusually sharp, as if it had just been honed.

 _Warrior Jounouchi!_ Mahad's voice boomed inside his head, and Joey winced.

 _Ah shit_ , Joey thought frantically, and he rearranged his face into a pleasant smile. _'Sup?_

"Come," Mahad said deeply, turning with a swish of his tail and swimming down the hall. "We are having a meeting in the throne room. Don't alert the king. This is between us."

Sweating nervously, Joey nodded and hurried after Mahad, passing Tristan and Duke near the end of the hall. They gave him a sympathetic grimace and Joey had to wonder if he was in trouble.

"This way," Mahad led Joey through a set of wide pillars and a series of kelp-woven curtains. "…In here."

The curtain was lifted for him, so Joey ducked hastily underneath Mahad's muscular arm and found himself floating in a magnificent circular room with pillars all around them. A beautiful golden throne protruded from a cliff of rock with several unfamiliar merpeople floating around it, and Joey shivered.  
He was in trouble. A meeting without the king? What was happening?

The only face he recognized was Mana, who was sitting quietly at the foot of the throne, trying to stay invisible.

"As many of you may know, this is Warrior Jounouchi," Mahad said loudly, his voice echoing in the chamber, and all heads turned to stare. "Tell them about your time on land with Seto Kaiba, Joey. We are all listening."

"You sent someone to spy on him?" Shadi tilted his head curiously, the large earrings swinging heavily on his earlobes. "I'm interested."

"I'm not," Shada growled, looking away pointedly. "Nothing good comes from fraternizing with humans. I do it all the time already. Why are we so interested in this Seto Kaiba anyway?"

"Men," Isis held her hands up nervously, shooting Mahad a knowing look. "Let's not fight. Let's hear what the brave Warrior has to say."

Joey swallowed tensely, feeling everyone's gaze burning holes through his skin as he gathered his thoughts and spoke carefully.

"My first encounter with him was when I got up on the wrong shore," he said shakily, recalling the horrible suffocation he'd experienced on the crowded beach. "He saved my life."

"You see? Just as he saved Atem's life. The human is not worth dwelling on," Shada said heavily, swimming towards the exit. "Are we finished here?"

"…But he's a merman for sure," Joey said weakly, noticing that this news didn't come as a shock to anyone. "And…he's dyin'. He's trying really hard to find a way to come back. He kept asking about the Chrysalis—"

"So he can take advantage of us," Rishid added, finally breaking his silence. "I saw the glint in his eyes when I met him on land. He's not to be trusted."

The court nodded in agreement, and Mahad curled his fists tightly at his sides. This new information from Joey was disturbing….

"You're not hearin' me," Joey said anxiously. "He's got claws and everything. He's fluent in Merspeak! I was just telling Atem! He knows all kinds of things. When Tristan asked him to throw a spear, I nearly got killed!"

"What?" Mahad snapped, his heart racing uncomfortably in his chest. "Now, did it happen to be _my_ spear he's been using?"

Joey nodded.  
Everyone sounded angry, so it was probably best not to bring up the fact that Kaiba also had a spear from their Hemisphere guards.

"Damn," Mahad cursed, and he received a wry smile from Shada.

"I offered to retrieve it for you," the Ambassador said, sounding smug. "Are we finished here, Warrior?"

"Um…" Joey fidgeted nervously. "We gotta help him. I think he's got 10 years left, tops. He's turning blue and randomly suffocatin'. I think he might be from another colony, but he really helped us out. We stayed on his property and didn't have to work!"

"So what I'm hearing is…you gave up valuable land experience to live comfortably under his wing?" Isis asked, her eyes wide with disappointment. "Why do we send you up there if all you warriors do is party with women and drink?"

"What?! No!" Joey cried defensively, his ears reddening with frustration.  
He was beginning to see why Kaiba was so angry with Atem's court.  
Their unwillingness to help was infuriating, and they were quick to jump to conclusions.

"Did you know he put slugs into a needle?" Joey fumed, now eager to stand up for Kaiba. "He saved my life! He made steel cuffs that can block thoughts!"

There were gasps of surprise and confusion, and Solomon raised his staff, his voice booming in the throne room.

"What is this?! A weapon for war?"

"No?! He hates fighting!" Joey's chest tightened with fear as he wondered if he was making it worse now. "He said he was goin' crazy hearing people talk about weddings or something, so he…used Tristan to test it out. It was a shiny sheet of metal. Thoughts couldn't go through it."

"Of course, idiot," Shadi muttered, rolling his eyes. "Everyone knows that thoughts can't penetrate through certain thicknesses."

"No!" Joey cried, shaking his head furiously and pointing at Mahad's single armband. "It looks like jewelry! He wears them around his wrists. No one can hear what he's thinkin' when he wears them!"

Mahad felt the air leave his lungs in a sudden _whoosh!,_ and the throne room swam dangerously in his vision.  
That…explained… _everything!_

"Intriguing!" Shada said, tucking a hand under his chin, his eyes glowing with fascination. "Did you happen to learn what the material is called? That can be useful indeed—"

"Shut up!" Rishid hissed, his face pale with fear. "Do you know what this means? If we were to get our hands on his cuffs, our forms of communication are forever compromised!"

There was a heavy, ringing silence in the throne room and Joey could hear his own heartbeat thundering in his ears. So…had he done well, or had he fucked up?

"You're dismissed, Warrior Jounouchi. Thank you for your service," Mahad breathed, barely able to stay composed as he gestured towards the door. "Please excuse us."

"But we're gonna help him, right?" Joey cried as two guards entered the room and grabbed him by the arms, dragging him to the exit. "He's throwin' up blood! He's turnin' grey! I promised we'd help him!"

Mahad watched the curtain fall with a soft swish, and he turned to face Solomon with a determined glint in his eye.

"I demand a meeting with him to settle this once and for all."

"Mahad…?" Mana whispered, breaking her silence for the first time. "Do you know of a colony near the surface? The one that was ravaged by war?"

Mahad blinked and shook his head.  
Which one was that?  
There were too many half-abandoned war-torn colonies to count.

"A warship sunk into the middle of their land, and what's left of their royal family lives inside of it," Mana said shakily, recalling the tattered furniture floating around in Seth's room. "Prince Seth is their last living member. Does that sound familiar?"

Isis nodded stiffly, frowning. "I've heard the girls talk about him. Everyone tries to Mate him into their colonies but to no avail. He's very stubborn."

"A sunken warship? That sounds like the colony that built our throne," Solomon said gently. "Helios? The Kingdom of Helios? The Kingdom of Sun and Light?"

"Ah…that was a nice colony," Shada said sadly, shaking his heavily tattooed head. "They had sunny resort dwellings that were very sought-after. Being near the surface has it's perks…"

"Well, have you _seen_ Prince Seth?" Mana asked shrilly, gazing into Isis's angular blue eyes. "Has anyone actually seen what he looks like? He's a spitting image of Seto Kaiba! Even their names are similar."

Everyone glanced uncertainly at each other, and Mana added, "shall I invite him here?"

"No," Solomon said, holding a hand up firmly. "We'll table this matter for another time. Shada? Do you have room in your route to make a visit to this young prince?"

"Atem can bring him!" Mana cried, rising up and glancing at Mahad for help. "If Seto Kaiba is a lost son from the kingdom that built our throne, shouldn't we help him?!"

"He holds the surname…of _a murderer_!" Solomon said stiffly. "I highly doubt that he is from the noble Kingdom of Light!"

Mana fell silent and looked to Mahad for help.  
Mahad gave her a sad grimace and shook his head.

"You're all…so cruel!" Mana whispered, tears brimming in her eyes as she clenched her fists at her sides. "Everyone is bringing evidence that Seto Kaiba is a Lost Warrior, and we aren't moving to help him! We've punished _Atem_ for a century for attempting to help him!"

Sobbing quietly, she swam out of the throne room, intent on delivering the horrible news to Atem herself, leaving behind her another heavy silence.

Shada broke it by clearing his voice gently.

"I can try to pay Prince Seth a visit, but I have other duties to tend to," he said, nodding. "I have an opening several moons from now, but his colony is far from here. I'll stop by the Kingdom of Helios, and also visit the private rock where we deposit scales to get to the bottom of this once and for all."

"Good. Meeting adjourned," Rishid growled, zipping to the exit without another look behind him, and he was followed quickly by Isis and Shadi.

Mahad floated towards the Ambassador and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "I can try to catch him at the private rock when I make my deliveries. Save yourself a trip."

"Good," Shada sniffed, jerking away and also floating towards the exit. "I didn't want to see the face of another human during my free time anyway."

Mahad set his mouth in a tight line and nodded, his chest swirling with guilt and doubt. His short encounter with Seto Kaiba had been haunting him, and now he knew why.  
He couldn't live with himself if he knew he'd unwittingly left one of their own behind on land.

Vowing he would begin to also secretly help Kaiba, Mahad swam out of the throne room towards Atem's room, intent on apologizing to the king for doubting his judgement all this time.

* * *

Seth swam steadily upwards, the pressure subsiding around his shoulders until he finally popped his head up above water, taking a deep breath of salty ocean air.

He glanced at the deserted beach and at the lone house sitting on the hill, appreciating the emptiness. It was nice not having to hide the moment he surfaced, and knowing it was a private piece of land owned by his brother made him feel slightly…proud.

Hefting the mesh sack over his shoulder, he let the waves wash him easily to the rock, and his palms slapped wetly against the surface as he peered inside the crevice.

There were three bulging seaweed sacks hanging on the hooks, and the sour stench of dead scales invaded his nostrils. It seemed like it had been a while since Seto had come by to clear it out.

Gagging, Seth grabbed the sacks and unscrewed the hooks from the ceiling, diving down to hang them against the side of the rock instead.

The medicine he'd brought needed to stay fresh and away from contaminants, and he deemed that was more important than Seto's disgusting hobby of collecting dead scales.

Tapping his rusty spear into the rock, Seth hastily carved a row of holes for the hooks and strung the sacks onto them with ease. Satisfied with his handiwork, he bobbed upwards and rammed his spear horizontally into the rocky crevice, tying the pouch of medicines to the center and making sure it hung with the note facing outwards.

Popping his head above water, he scanned the empty beach one last time before he sighed and decided he would wait until sunset for Seto to show up.

Circling the rock, Seth propped himself up on sand and closed his eyes, gazing up at the clear blue sky and watching several birds fly by overhead.

The handiwork of the seaweed sacks full of dead scales looked familiar, and Seth racked his brain, trying to recall where the Kingdom of Muran was located, but all he could think of was the beautiful mermaid, Mana…

He heard a soft splash, along with a confused thought floating from the other side of the rock, and he froze, listening intently. It was another merperson. There had been no footsteps on the beach, so it had to be another merperson.

Pushing quietly off the shore, Seth sank stealthily under the water, intent on making a sneak attack on the stranger.

 _How strange!_ Mahad wavered uncertainly on the spot, staring at the rusty spear wedged horizontally in the middle of the cavern. His heart thudded with confusion when he noticed the insignia was so old and worn, it was unreadable.

The seaweed sacks had disappeared.  
Kaiba usually left the empty ones hanging on the spare hooks, but all the hooks had vanished too.

A note floated upwards, attached to a mesh bag, and Mahad frowned, leaning closer to read it. His skin crawled as he inspected the neat handwriting, clearly belonging to a merperson because it was written in merspeak.

 _"My dearest brother,_

 _Please take this for your shore sickness.  
Stop being so stubborn and accept my help._

 _Dry these under the sun and crumble them. Wet them again with water and make a paste. Separate into even sections and take 2 at every sunrise, 3 every evening, 5 at a third-quarter and 2 again at waxing crescent. I'll bring more if you promise to show your face often._

 _And drink more water for Helios's sake, Seto. You're turning gray."_

Holding his breath, Mahad bit his tongue painfully and shifted the heavy sack to his other shoulder. These were…expensive and thoughtful medicines left here by Kaiba's…brother?! This was further proof that Kaiba needed their help…! Joey had been right—

"HEY!" Seth shouted, seeing another long-haired merman floating at the entrance of the rock. "Don't you dare hang that garbage in there! Those medicines need to stay clean!"

Mahad whirled around and dropped the sack in shock, finding himself staring into Kaiba's face, but his hair had grown so long, it hung in thick wet strands down his shoulders. His blue eyes were narrowed into threatening slits , and the hint of a deep blue tail sprouted from his hips with alternating shades of green.

He could feel the seaweed sack scraping against the rock and bursting open once it hit the bottom, but Mahad didn't care. Was this Kaiba in his merform? How terrifying!

"Y-You look well," Mahad said nervously, reaching his hand out for a friendly shake. "Shore sickness got you down?"

"I am Seth, from the Kingdom of Light. Who the hell are you?" The Kaiba look-alike said coldly, folding his arms tightly across his chest, rejecting the friendly gesture. "Name and status. And do I look like I have a sickness, you fool?"

Taken aback by the unwelcoming tone, Mahad's resentment for Kaiba came back in a rush, and he resisted the urge to tackle the merman down and bite him.

"I am Warrior Mahad, from the Kingdom of Muran," Mahad said stiffly, bobbing forward in a polite bow. "I see. Mana was right. You look exactly like him."

"You're a Warrior," Seth repeated, his eyes widening. "This means you can help…by telling us where the nearest Moon Pool is."

Mahad shook his head sadly and edged away from the rock, badly shaken and eager to get away from the Kaiba look-alike.

"I can't do that. You know I can't," he said nervously, and Seth advanced towards him threateningly, pointing at the shore with a clawed finger.

"One of ours is dying on this very shore," he hissed, trembling with rage. "My blood. My brother! You're telling me you'd rather see one of us die on land than rouse yourself to help? And you call yourself a Warrior from the Kingdom of Muran…then you must serve under King Atem. He came to me personally, asking for help, and here I am. What are you doing here if you're not helping?"

Mahad swallowed thinly, continuing to back away respectfully, his stomach churning terribly with guilt and despair.

"Our Ambassador, Shada, is on it," Mahad said quietly, thinking that that wasn't nearly enough help, and his thoughts were mirrored by Seth.

"Oh, great, politics," Seth fumed, rolled his eyes. "You're all talk and no action. Get out of my sight, Warrior. You disgust me."

 _Gladly_ , Mahad thought anxiously, kicking off the rock and diving straight down for deeper water, his body stiff with turbulent emotions.

Seth watched him go and he swam back up to prop himself on the rock, disgruntled.

Merpeople were getting soft. The wars had weakened everyone's trust with humans, and it was showing through the generations.

 _This is why everything must be done yourself if it needs to be done right_ , Seth thought ruefully, squinting up at the sun, enjoying its warmth on his chest.

Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes and decided to take a short nap while he waited for Seto.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Mokuba and his wife welcome a baby boy into the world!  
Joey and Tristan return underwater and deliver news about Kaiba.

Seth is intent on helping Seto because he believes they are brothers and chased away a willing ally, Mahad.

lovingly edited by taedae

and WHOA HEY UGLI DRAMA! 2020 is reaaally testing me because i have been deleted from tumblr. my MAIN blog is uglifish2, so thats gone, but the sideblogs attached to that email (uglifish) is still up, so...idk. -shruggy emoji-


	37. Chapter 37

Atem fanned through the magazine for the umpteenth time, gazing down at the glossy pages and taking in Mokuba's striking features.

They did look…incredibly similar.

Turning the page, Atem reached his favorite photo, and he glanced at it with a longing sigh, trailing his finger down Kaiba's face. He was gazing sharply into the camera while sitting gracefully on a white bench in a garden. A small smirk was sitting on his beautiful lips and Mokuba had his arm thrown around his older brother's shoulders, smiling boyishly with his long black hair cascading down his back.

Rolling over onto his back, Atem draped the magazine over his face, inhaling deeply and wishing he could recreate Kaiba's scent in his mind.

The seaweed sack Joey brought down was filled with everything he could ever want; it was almost as if Kaiba had read his mind and sent him a gift for every single thing he had missed about him.

There was a dark suit, paired with a matching tie, another shiny belt, and a crystal watch. He had gazed at it endlessly, watching the minute hands tick by, wondering how Kaiba had managed to make it work underwater until he grew frustrated and gave up.

In the stack of books, he'd also found a personal journal filled with love poems Kaiba had written for him, but his Japanese was rusty, so he couldn't read it.

Determined, Atem had been slowly translating them into Merspeak with the help of Mai and Anzu, day by day, moon by moon.  
It really helped pass the time.

The amount of jewelry Kaiba sent was also incredible.

There were various necklaces, earrings, rings, strange pairs of plain metal cuffs, and golden armbands that rivaled the beauty of the ones he'd received from his parents.

He had hidden the stash inside his Treasury, finding it helped to wake up with excitement at every moon to pick out something new and beautiful to wear that would go along well with his usual attire without raising eyebrows.

Pressing a hand tightly to his chest, Atem let out another heartbroken sigh.

This was fine. He could survive like this.

He missed Kaiba so much, his entire body ached, and he had to wonder what Kaiba was doing now….

* * *

Kaiba was tight-lipped, frowning with his legs crossed, sitting across from a well-dressed man at a restaurant table, hating every minute of their "date".

The man was talking about something banal, mentioning his children heavily throughout the conversation, and Kaiba's attention was straying.

Not only was he uncomfortable in the setting, the sour scent of singed flesh was triggering his gag reflex every time a waiter walked by with a steaming plate of fish.

He had explicitly mentioned in the matchmaking profile that he couldn't stand being near cooked fish, and yet he had been placed at this restaurant. They had been given a private dining booth, but he could still smell it through the walls.

Also, something annoying was tugging at his chest, and he couldn't figure out what it was to make it go away. It felt as if someone was…shouting his name from afar, but it was quiet inside the restaurant.

"...What about you?" His date asked keenly, noticing that Kaiba was no longer mentally present. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not feeling well," Kaiba said stiffly, tossing his napkin down on the table and standing up quickly. "The smell of the fish makes me sick. Let's never see each other again."

The man's mouth dropped open, and he reached his hand out for a nervous shake, "W-Wait, please. I'm sorry. I—"

"Don't touch me," Kaiba responded viciously, and he stalked out of the restaurant, intent on completing a long session of meditation underwater. This matchmaking shit was setting him off every time he met someone new, and it didn't help that the previous woman he'd had dinner with had left a bad comment with the matchmaker.

He was dating down, being set up with losers who were at the end of their rope, and he was being forced to listen to their woes over a meal. They were practically un-datable people, with needy children from previous marriages, or they were carrying a ton of emotional baggage from a previous spouse.

 _I guess I fall into the second category_ , Kaiba thought ruthlessly, slipping the steel cuffs off his arms while he walked. He had emotional baggage. The only thing keeping him sane was the fact that he'd finally managed to block off other people's thoughts with the steel armbands.

The silence in his own head was golden, but he had grown to miss the moments of intense clarity that gave him an upper hand, so he only wore the cuffs on dates to avoid hearing harsh criticisms about himself and his perpetual singleness.

Passing by a convenience store, he saw an old woman with long white hair sitting on the bench beside the bike racks, hanging her head in her hands, quietly sobbing.

Shaking his head, Kaiba looked away pointedly and continued on his way.

He was surrounded by misery. What else was new?

Quickening his pace, Kaiba kept his eyes nailed to the dark sky above him, feeling an intense longing to be submerged in still, ocean water.

* * *

Mai stopped singing and leaned against the rock, giving Seth a demure smile.

"I think I got him," she said confidently, and Seth said nothing, giving her an emotionless stare. He would believe it when Seto showed up.

"…And I can totally believe you're both related," Mai muttered under her breath. "I'm leaving. I gave you what you wanted, now where is it?"

"Here," Seth said stiffly, holding his fist out and dropping the lipstick tube into her outstretched hand. "It's half-used, but I found it dry."

"Good enough for me!" Mai said sweetly, snatching it up quickly and sinking beneath the water with a wave. "Don't call me again! This was a favor for Atem, not for you!"

"Whatever," Seth muttered, propping himself up on the rock again and folding his arms nervously across his chest as Mai disappeared with a soft splash.

He was growing increasingly more worried as the days passed with no Seto in sight. The medicines would only be fresh if they were dried within the week, and they had been hanging in the cave for five days now, untouched.

Sighing, he leaned against the rock and let a wave wash up to his waist, sending a warm shiver up his spine. The water here was so nice…Seto chose a really nice patch of clean water, did he know that? It was so secluded that even the fish underneath were miles away.

 _How nice it must be to have money_ , Seth thought forlornly, gazing up at the orange sky which was growing darker by the minute.

Footsteps pattered across the beach, and he whipped his head around. A blocky figure was carrying something in his arms, and he was moving steadily down the boardwalk, running down from the house on the hill.

Dipping his head down nervously, Seth slid off the rock and hid his lower half just in case it wasn't Seto because he had a feeling it wasn't.

Just as he'd thought, a man wearing a black suit strode steadily towards the beach, shouting at him in his mind.

 _Master Kaiba! Aren't you supposed to be at dinner?  
Why are you in the water at this hour? Get out before you catch a cold!  
I will tell Mokuba about this, don't think I won't!_

 _Oh, damn!_ Seth thought nervously, hastily submerging himself completely and hiding behind the rock, his heart pounding at the thought of being discovered.

But…the old man had called him 'master Kaiba'…so he must know Seto. He was also using thoughts to speak. That wasn't normal human behavior, was it?

On the road above the beach, Kaiba slammed the car door shut and raced to the edge of the cliff, gazing down and seeing Isono standing by the large rock, holding a towel furiously at his side, kicking the sand.

 _Oh, fuck,_ _someone is in the water pissing him off,_ Kaiba thought anxiously, and he hopped over the metal railing and nimbly climbed down the rocky sidewall using the sliding technique Joey and Tristan had taught him.

He landed softly on his feet and called out to Isono.

"Hey! Who is it?" he asked, racing to the water's edge and seeing his manservant turn to give him an incredulous look.

"Wh—it wasn't you?" Isono gasped, and Kaiba blinked, instantly realizing Seth was probably waiting for him behind the rock.

"No. I was at the fucking dinner," Kaiba said slowly, pointing back at the house. "Go back inside. I don't need you out here."

"I saw someone!" Isono insisted, pressing the towel against Kaiba's chest and shaking his head. "He looked very much like you."

"You're going senile, old man. Leave!" Kaiba hissed, giving Isono a rough shove towards the house. "Don't you have a diaper to change or something?"

Isono threw him an exasperated look and walked back towards the house, muttering angrily to himself.

Kaiba waited until Isono was safely back inside the house before he slowly inched the tie off from around his neck, calling out loudly, "Who's there?!"

 _Me, you idiot!_ Seth replied furiously, still pinned anxiously against the rock. _Is he gone? You let your servants order you around like that?_

"It's not a recent development," Kaiba muttered, tossing his shirt aside and stepping out of his shoes, making sure to leave them atop the rock where they would safely be dry. "What are you doing here? You have a message for me?"

Seth bobbed his head above water and swam tentatively closer, watching his twin casually disrobe and toss a shiny belt aside.

"You got the call? Mai's call?" Seth asked nervously, thinking he would never doubt another mermaid's song again. "I have medicine for you. You haven't been by here for a week. They're going stale."

"What?" Kaiba snapped, walking towards the water's edge and letting a hot wave lap at his ankles. He sat down slowly with a sigh and closed his eyes, feeling his body heat up.  
Stepping into a warm wave was better than a hot bath any day.

"Medicine, for your sickness, brother," Seth insisted, hoisting himself up on the small rocks again and pointing at the crevice beneath the water. "I hope you don't mind. I've made some adjustments to your delivery system down below."

 _Adjustments?_ Kaiba blinked, and rushed into the water with a practiced dive, elbowing Seth aside as he peered into the rock, surprised to see Seth had carved two new channels into it, one for the scales and the other for a strange pouch hanging from a rusting pole, and a third that was empty.

 _How the fuck?_ Kaiba reeled, running his hand along the smooth wall of the rock, his respect and envy for Seth rising. _How did you fucking do this?_

 _Same way you did_ , Seth answered, raising his eyebrows playfully. _Now, will you take the medicine?_

 _Yeah, only if you stop calling me 'brother' unironically_ , Kaiba shot back, reaching out to untie the mesh pouch from the rusty pole, his skin crawling at the amount of dirt and algae clinging to it.

Where the hell did this rusty-ass pole come from?! It was so fucking gross.

Raising his head above water, Kaiba waded to shore and sat down waist-deep in the sand, seeing that a note had been attached to the pouch, and it was woven from a different kind of kelp. The seaweed sacks from Atem's people were flimsier, and had gaps, but this pouch was so tightly woven, it was almost cloth-like.

"Do you like it?" Seth asked nervously, rolling onto the sand beside his twin and staring at Seto's pale hands inspecting his handiwork with a keen eye. "I'm sure you could make one that's better."

Kaiba wasn't listening.  
He was focused on the note, his skin crawling when he realized he could read it at a glance, but they were nonsensical shapes and odd squiggles.  
What the hell was this language?!  
He stared at the strange shapes and lines, his own voice echoing in his head while he read, his chest to growing so tight with disbelief, every breath was painful.

 _"My dearest brother,_

 _Please take this for your shore sickness.  
Stop being so stubborn and accept my help._

 _Dry these under the sun and crumble them. Wet them again with water and make a paste. Separate into even sections and take 2 at every sunrise, 3 every evening, 5 at a third-quarter and 2 again at waxing crescent. I'll bring more if you promise to show your face more often._

 _And drink more water for Helios's sake, Seto, you're turning gray."_

"What's wrong?" Seth asked, hating the silence that filled the air. "Speak!"

"' _My dearest brother'_?!" Kaiba detached the note and waved it at Seth with a sneer. "Stop it with this nonsense. We're not related."

"Glad you can still read," Seth answered amicably, scooping water from an oncoming wave and splashing it aimlessly on his own chest. "I like the strip of water you own here. It's very clean and warm. Hard to find secluded water like this since humans won the wars."

Again, Kaiba wasn't listening.  
He was fascinated with the note, running his fingers over the soft sheet of kelp. It looked like it had been processed, dyed, and each word was inked painstakingly with a needle.

"Hey." Seth frowned, snapping his fingers irritably. "Don't ignore me while I'm sitting right here."

"Will this work?" Kaiba asked, gripping the mesh pouch with a spark of hope. "I'll stop feeling like shit? And you think I'm turning grey?!"

"It'll help stave off some of the effects, yes," Seth answered, relieved that Kaiba had finally decided to accept his help. "If you ever have trouble breathing, take one. Keep it with you at all times after you've dried them."

Kaiba held the sack up to the darkening sky, wrinkling his nose in disgust. The contents were squishy. What was this, more slugs?

"It's a type of anemone," Seth answered readily, waving his tail against an oncoming wave. "Don't squeeze or pop them. They need to dry fully."

"Gross." Kaiba strung the sack to one of the belt loops on his slacks so they'd stay submerged.

"Don't insult them!" Seth snapped, his blue eyes narrowed at his twin threateningly. "They gave up their life so you could be better. Harvesting them was difficult and…expensive. Be grateful I still care, unlike that Warrior Mahad from the Kingdom of Muran."

"I see you've met my favorite asshole." Kaiba smiled, pleased to discover that Seth also despised Mahad. "He's a stuck-up piece of shit, isn't he?"

"Something like that," Seth replied viciously, feeling a rush of kinship towards Kaiba. "Glad to know you have him delivering garbage to shore every week."

Kaiba laughed gleefully and crossed his legs in the water, seeing Seth mirror his laugh and gaze out across the horizon.

This felt nice.  
They were…bonding.

They sat together in comfortable silence before Kaiba broke it with more of his burning questions.

"Why are the anemones expensive?" the CEO asked slowly, feeling the mesh sack bob in the water as another wave came rushing around his waist. "And you wouldn't say they're expensive…unless you're broke."

Seth blinked rapidly and said nothing, his ears burning as he wondered how he could break the horrible news to Seto.

Kaiba felt the air grow cold and he gave his twin a glare.

"Hey, speak. And tell the goddamn truth."

Seth lowered his head nervously, his tears welling behind his lids as he hugged his fins to his chest, trying to find the right words.  
How did one gently say, 'war bankrupted us and killed our entire family'?

Kaiba sighed and leaned back into the water, gazing up at the darkening indigo sky.

"You're broke. I got it," he said softly, regretting poking fun at the merman. "Thanks for the meds."

"No, it's not just that," Seth said in a furious rush. "If money was our only problem, don't you think we would've solved it by now?"

"Then what is it?" Kaiba asked testily, his eyelid twitching with impatience. "Get to the damn point or give me an itemized list."

"The colony is completely destroyed," Seth replied shakily, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "A large sunken warship crushed our resort dwellings, and those were our biggest attractions. Everyone has either relocated or died. The only people left are Elders who are too stubborn to move, and many girls come by asking me to marry into their families, but that would mean…abandoning our home, forever!"

"Then rebuild," Kaiba said dryly, wondering what the hell 'resort dwellings' were. "Give me a map. I'll move the ship for you. Get people to move back in."

Seth let out a bark of mirthless laughter, his shoulders shaking as he tried to contain himself, but he couldn't stop laughing. Typical Seto, always giving simple solutions to difficult problems.

"Stop laughing, I'm fucking serious!" Kaiba protested, slightly offended. "And what the hell are resort dwellings?"

"Exactly what they sound like, brother," Seth said earnestly, and he received a sharp glare in return.

"I said don't call me that," Kaiba snapped, but Seth talked over him, looking out over the water with misty eyes while he reminisced.

"People from all over the ocean would flock to our kingdom to stay in one of our resorts," Seth said sadly, biting back tears. "We were known for the light we receive from the sun god, Helios. On summer afternoons, strips of sunlight would dance across the surface of our kingdom…and it was…beautiful. That's who we are. It defined us. It made us one of the most successful kingdoms on this side of the hemisphere."

There was another tense silence, and Kaiba felt a strange tug in his chest. Great. More fairy tales.

"It's our history, Seto! Your history!" Seth shouted, losing his composure. "It's not _fairy tales_. We are rulers of this dead kingdom, and this is why I've refused to abandon it. Our parents would've wanted us to keep it. I've had hope thinking I'd find you alive, and I did! Now you're sitting here, dismissing me, while I'm trying to find a solution!"

Kaiba nodded stiffly, taken aback by the sudden outburst.

"You should be proud. We are Sons of Light, from the Kingdom of Helios. Remember that," Seth said coldly, squaring his shoulders and turning away from Kaiba to hide the tears that were streaming unwittingly down his face.

It was hard having this conversation with Seto, who seemed to have forgotten everything about their home.

"Sure…" Kaiba said uncertainly, staring at Seth's long brown hair which was beginning to dry.

He stared out across the ocean, and a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"Wait…" Kaiba breathed, stiffening with excitement. "The colony is close enough to get… _sun_? That means you're close by, aren't you?!"

"Yes, genius." Seth palmed the tears off his face with a determined grimace. "The whole appeal was that we are near the surface. We had an import-export business for Human Artifacts too, and that was before it was banned by the Kingdom of Muran. Now Human Artifacts are extremely expensive due to the ban. An unbroken glass jar with a lid goes for five emeralds now. Ridiculous."

"I get it. Atem's family really like being buzzkills," Kaiba said, sitting up energetically in the water, filled with renewed excitement. "Get Atem to un-ban human shit. I'll send you anything you could possibly want. Start the business up again. It'll bring people back."

Seth stared numbly at Kaiba and shook his head. It wasn't that easy….  
Perhaps they could lift the ban on certain items, but they had to be careful. Distrust regarding humans and their technology was still high.

"And you're near the surface, which means I can get rid of trash," Kaiba said firmly, nodding. "I did it for Atem's 'hemisphere', so I can do it for yours."

"…You did?" Seth breathed, unable to believe his ears. "Those metal ships were yours? The ones picking up trash from Atem's Hemisphere? Word of a human doing the merking's bidding traveled far and wide!"

"Good to know I'm great for his PR," Kaiba muttered under his breath, enjoying the wonderful spark of inspiration he hadn't felt in a long time. "Move people out of the colony. You said they're old, right? Tell them they can come back after you've remodeled."

Seth sat up quickly, reaching forward to grasp Kaiba's hands in his, breathless with gratitude and excitement.

"Yes, let me give you the map!" He cried, and Kaiba barely had time to blink before he saw a flash of an oncoming vision.

Sun was streaming in through murky waters, casting bits of light onto crumbling stone caves. All of the openings were covered with black seaweed planted intentionally on either side, and hunks of rusted metal lay strewn everywhere. A propeller was sticking halfway out of the sand, and against it lay a giant pile of human clothes, tin cans, and empty sea rations.

An exposed hull of a ship loomed before him, covered in algae and kelp. The name of the vessel was violently scratched out from the side, and Kaiba caught a glimpse of broken furniture in the sunken ship before he was pulled out of the vision, and Seth was gazing nervously into his face.

"H-Holy shit," Kaiba whispered, a horrible wave of nausea rising in his chest, threatening to consume him. Atem's colony was stunningly beautiful, but this…this was some third-world country shit.  
People still lived there? It looked like a garbage heap.

"Seto?" Seth's concerned voice sounded far away.

No doubt it was Gozaburo's doing. He could easily find out what ship had sunken there if he had coordinates instead of a fucking vision as a map.

"Coordinates?" Seth repeated, giving Seto's shoulders a rough shake. "Easily done. I'll tell you the numbers. Snap out of it. Ready?"

"Yeah…" Kaiba breathed, listening to Seth rattle off a series of numbers and letters.

If this was real, this meant…he had something waiting for him underwater, something that wasn't just Atem.  
There was a place for him.  
This also explained why he felt so fucking out of place everywhere in his life.  
Maybe this also explained why he always dressed himself up until he was almost uncomfortable in his own skin.

Or…this was all wishful thinking and lies told by a mythical creature sharing his face?

Either way, some ocean clean-up was in order.

"Seto!" Seth gave Kaiba's hand a painful squeeze. "Come back. The vision wasn't that long. Don't live inside your head."

"I got it…I got it," Kaiba said numbly, unconsciously giving Seth's hand a squeeze in return. "I'll throw together a team tomorrow morning. I'll give you a week to move people, okay? Then I'm coming down there with metal arms and choppers to pick up the ship, and when that happens, no one can stop me."

"Noted," Seth said, nodding vigorously. "Thankfully, Mana gave me an offer that was hard to refuse. I'll tell her I've changed my mind. I think she likes me enough to Mate with me."

Kaiba let out a bark of laughter and gave his twin a withering look.

"Don't bother," Kaiba scoffed, tapping the beaded bracelets from Atem which he always wore on his wrist. "I've seen her give Mahad lovey-dovey eyes through Atem's memories. She likes him and will probably sleep with you for fun to pass the time."

"Oh," Seth's expression darkened rapidly. " _Now_ I want to kill Mahad."

"Ha!" Kaiba grinned, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Let me know if you're successful."

Seth sighed and shook his head, looking very determined. "I'll leave you now then, brother," he said seriously. "I better start convincing the Elders to move if we only have seven sunlit days."

"We're not related," Kaiba shot back aimlessly. "Unless you want to give me a blood sample right now. And maybe a piece of hair."

"Is that what will make you believe me?" Seth cried, edging closer towards deeper waters. "Fine! Take my blood and hair! I'm tired of you arguing with me about it."

"Yeah?" Kaiba's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Be right back."

He rose out of the water and raced across the beach back to the house, his heart thundering with joy.  
Now this was an exciting new project.  
Even if the long-haired merman wasn't his brother, it didn't matter.  
He now had a reason to return to the lab.  
This was also his chance to rebuild a colony underwater.  
Repairing the damage done from Gozaburo was something he always did with vicious glee. Knowing that he was reversing every little evil thing that old man had done always helped him sleep at night.

Seth leaned back against an oncoming wave and sighed, staring after Kaiba's tall form with an air of amusement.

Seto's enthusiasm was cute.

* * *

Mahad floated in through the doors of the Medic's chambers, waiting to be noticed while she hustled and bustled around sick merpeople resting in pods and beds.

"Ah! Warrior Mahad!" the nurse called, waving at him happily. "Welcome. How may we service you today?"

"Warrior Mahad!" The medic cried, zoomed through the water to grab his hands, and Mahad felt his body heat up strangely as she rapidly examined his vitals.

"…No-No, it's not for me," he said hastily, retracting his hands with a grateful nod. "One of my…men…on shore is suffering a bit of sickness. Do we have anything that might help?"

"Oh, of course. What stage of illness is he in?" she asked, frowning deeply. "Is he vomiting?"

"I'm not sure," Mahad lied, feeling his tongue swell badly with guilt. "Anything helps."

"Well," the medic swam to the back of the room and pried open the shell cabinet filled with various jars and live specimens. "I'll make you something for the last stage of illness. That's usually the best. You should really tell him to come back down if it gets worse!"

"Yes, but," Mahad hesitated and went through with a full lie. "…You know how it is. Young, energetic men. They think they're invincible these days."

"Like King Atem?" The nurse added unhelpfully, suppressing a snicker that was echoed by the women in neighboring beds.

"Don't speak ill of our king," Mahad said firmly, turning to leave. "He really is invincible."

"Of course, Warrior Mahad," The medic gave him a sweet smile and bobbed her head in a polite bow. "Thank you for your service."

Mahad let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding and nodded stiffly, swimming out the door with his fists clenched.

He could help Seth by giving Kaiba more medicine.  
Those anemones were difficult to harvest, he knew that much.

Hopefully, his conscience could rest easy knowing he tried to help a lost warrior on land in some way, even if that man was as despicable as Kaiba.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Seto and Seth bonding time!  
Mahad is sneaky-sneaky!  
Atem is sads but is happy with all the presents from Kaiba!

 _Edited by taedae_

Stay safe out there and keep your Corona-away spray nearby!

love,  
Ugli


	38. Chapter 38

Mana floated happily in front of the throne, smiling at everyone after giving Atem's hand a warm squeeze.

"Well? What is it?" Isis asked, adjusting her scarf in her hair. "Hurry and tell us. We have places to be."

"Prince Seth has accepted my offer!" Mana squealed happily, doing a pretty twirl in the water. "Isn't that great, Atem?!"

"The offer of…moving their Elders into our dwellings?" Mahad asked, seeing Solomon, Rishid, and Shadi shift uncomfortably in silence.

"Yes," Mana said firmly, giving Mahad a steely look. "We will give them comfortable homes and priority access to our Medic at all times. Atem?"

Atem sighed and waved his hand airily across his nose. "We have room, so I don't see why not. But Seth is _not_ going to serve in my court. I don't want him as an advisor."

"Well, that's the problem," Solomon said gently. "If we are absorbing another colony, they need a voice. He is their—"

"I don't want to see him!" Atem snapped, his rage flaring suddenly. "He reminds me too much of Kaiba. I approve of the merge. Next topic."

Mana glanced frantically between Atem and Solomon, shaking her head nervously.

"He said it was more of a…temporary arrangement. He won't be moving. Only his people are coming here. Their Medic will share a ward with ours for the time being."

"How strange," Mahad said, and he had an inkling of why that would be. "He wants to live alone in his abandoned colony?"

"Yes," Mana said, looking disappointed. "We won't be seeing much of him. His messenger said he would check in with us occasionally using other messengers."

"How formal. I like it," Atem said callously, earning a sharp look from Solomon.

The old merman spoke up, raising his staff in agreement. "As long as his Elders have a safe place to stay, everything should be fine. Send him a message saying we welcome them with open arms."

"Done!" Mana clapped her hands gleefully and zoomed out of the throne room, leaving a tense silence behind her.

Atem sighed and leaned back into the throne, hating everything.

The kingdom could sink tomorrow, and he couldn't care less.  
All he wanted to do was be left alone so he could think about Kaiba and bury himself into the diamond memories Kaiba made for him.

It was the only thing keeping him sane.

* * *

Kaiba was going insane.

The baby would crawl from one end of the room to the other, babbling nonsensically at him and occasionally throwing toys around for seemingly no reason.

Isono was napping lightly on the couch across the room, and Kaiba propped his head up on his hand, wishing he could also close his eyes, but he had to keep them nailed on the child, as per Mokuba's demands.

This morning, he had walked into the lobby at headquarters to put together a team for a dive, expecting to be treated normally, but instead, everyone had rushed to greet him.

 _"How have you been, Mr. Kaiba?"_

 _"You look well, Mr. Kaiba!"_

 _"Would you like to grab a coffee with my daughter, Mr. Kaiba?"_

Having had enough, he rushed to the elevators, only to discover that the codes had been changed.  
"Wait! Mr. Kaiba…! Mokuba has changed the sensor and the code to the door," a woman at the front desk rushed to his side, pink the face. "I'll call him down."

Stunned, Kaiba had been forced to stand like a stranger in his own lobby while he waited for his younger brother to descend from the top floor.

After what seemed like an eternity, Mokuba had rushed out of the elevator looking excited.

"Seto! What's up?"

" _What's up_?" Kaiba seethed, remembering he had been deeply shaken by new furniture around him. "Where did you get these couches?"

"Online?" Mokuba had answered him plainly with a shrug, gesturing for them to step inside the elevator. "Again, what's up? I thought you didn't want to come back around here anymore."

"I never said that," Kaiba said, and he began to feel a slight headache coming on the higher they rose. "I'm here to assemble a team for an underwater dive to retrieve remains of a warship from Gozaburo's old fleet."

Mokuba had agreed readily without a fuss, but he had a condition.

"I'll give you a team with no budget cap, but you'll have to babysit Noah for me today until the weekend. We're getting busy, because a convention is happening downtown, and we're the main event."

And Kaiba had agreed without question, thinking it would be an easy task because there were supposedly two nannies, _and_ Isono, but now as he was sitting on the floor atop the brightly colored playmats, he'd realized it was the farthest thing from easy.

Even though the two nannies were helpful, the baby somehow _always_ needed something.  
If it wasn't crying, it was shitting.  
If it wasn't shitting, it was eating, and even when it was sleeping, there was a mad rush to clean, to prepare more milk, more clean pacifiers, bedding, diapers, and towels.

Kaiba also learned that the female nanny drove to headquarters every day to pick up breast milk from Ayame in the afternoon while Isono prepared lunch for everyone, which left the male nanny to watch over the infant if he woke up screaming for milk mid-nap.

Kaiba was there to relieve the male nanny, but it seemed no one slept at all.

Everyone lived on baby Noah's demanding schedule.

The male nanny did the baby's laundry with lightning speed, and only sat down to eat. Ayame usually returned several hours before dinner to feed the baby by breast again until Mokuba came home, and it was only then that the adults all sat down for a meal…provided that the peace and quiet wasn't shattered by shrill crying.

Groaning, Kaiba laid down on the mats, feeling his head spin with exhaustion.

Running a fucking company was easier than this.  
At least that was something he mostly could do by himself.  
Mokuba was probably having a grand old time sitting at his desk, enjoying a break from all the crying and diaper changing.

Rolling over onto his side, he watched as the baby crawled rapidly towards him, laughing excitedly.

 _Ugh,_ Kaiba thought dully, closing his eyes and feeling a tiny fist hit his face repeatedly. _Please…. Stop…._

The hitting paused and changed to grabbing.  
His hair was being yanked out by the roots, and Kaiba's eyes watered.

The baby had toys, right? Why was he tugging at hair if there was a roomful of toys?!

Sitting up slowly, Kaiba untangled the baby's fist from his hair and glared at him, wrinkling his nose when the overpowering scent of powder mixed in with shit flooded his senses.  
God…was it time for another diaper change? Already?!

"You…are horrible," Kaiba growled, giving the baby gentle bounce on his knee. "Why won't you let anyone sleep?"

The baby blinked his large eyes at him innocently and blew a tiny spit bubble out from the corner of his mouth.

Looking away with disgust, Kaia set the infant down on the floor and watched him crawl away with a shrieking laugh, going way too fast on all fours and running headfirst into the soft barrier lining the walls.

Kaiba watched incredulously as the baby rolled onto his side, his face contorting into displeasure as he opened his mouth to scream between hiccupping breaths, "Wa-Wa…. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

 _Fuck!_ Kaiba roused himself to pick the baby up, feeling his eardrum split in two as the infant clung onto his shoulder, incessantly crying.

This was his fucking life now.  
He had been absent for too long at the helm of Kaiba corporation, so Mokuba had fluidly taken over, kicking him out of his office and making him babysit!

Patting the screaming baby on the back, Kaiba watched as Isono slowly opened his eyes sleepily and rose to leave the room, dragging the blanket he'd been using behind him.

The door shut with a quiet _clack!_ , and Kaiba's frustration rose to an all-time high.

No one was going to come in to relieve him of the screaming baby.  
It was his shift.  
Fuck. Everything.

Seth had better be thankful, because this was what it took to lift the sunken ship out of the water.

* * *

Seth heard a loud _bang!_ in the distance and he jerked awake, deeply startled.

He heard yelling above water coupled with thoughts from humans shouting.

 _How deep are we going? Doesn't seem too deep._

 _Eek! My first dive with senpai! I'm so excited…!_

Nervously darting around the room, Seth wondered if he had gotten the dates and times mixed up. Didn't Seto agree to meet him on land one last time before sending humans here?

Swimming out through a broken window, Seth stayed low in the water, seeing large groups of people wearing dark, bulky diving gear, taking instruction from one main diver in the middle, hovering above the debris with a camera.

Panicking, Seth backed away slowly and managed to swim around the large hull of the ship, thankful that no one was on the other side yet.

Zooming through the water at breakneck speed, Seth curled his fists at his sides and decided he would wait at Seto's shore to confront his brother about the timing.  
He hadn't gotten the days wrong.  
Seto's clean-up people had come early!

Thankfully, he had re-located everyone to Atem's colony just in the nick of time.

Risking a glance behind himself, Seth allowed himself to breathe a tight sigh of relief. The humans were a mere dot in the distance, and the ships that accompanied them were small blobs of shadows in the water.

Swiveling his head around to continue forward, Seth saw an unfamiliar mer-person swimming rapidly towards him, and he waved his arms to warn them away.

As the merperson got closer, Seth's stomach twisted in disdain when he realized it was…Warrior Mahad.

"Stop!" He cried, holding his hands up sternly. "Don't go any further! You're not welcome here!"

Mahad tried to quell the rapid pounding of his heart as he floated to a slow halt, panting breathlessly, trying not to gape at Seth. It was hard to get over the shock of the resemblance he bore towards Seto Kaiba, even though they had only met briefly once before.

Trying to keep his expression neutral, Mahad swept his gaze around water around them, protesting, "This isn't even your hemisphere! Why am I unwelcome? My fins are tired. I swam a long way to get here."

"Because…there are humans diving near my kingdom," Seth said angrily. "We'll be seen."

"Ah," Mahad folded his arms across his chest, giving Seth a knowing look. "Did you perhaps _invite them_ to dive in your kingdom?"

This was a Kaiba-tactic for sure.  
Kaiba had even cleaned up the hemisphere in Muran.  
The humans could've come at Seto Kaiba's orders.

"Do you take me for a fool or an idiot?" Seth raged, his anger flaring. "They came without warning, otherwise I would've grabbed a weapon too, so I can hunt for food."

Mahad nodded slowly and sank to the bottom of the ocean floor, perching himself on a flat rock and gazing up at the sunlight streaking in from above, his tail aching from the journey.

"Now leave," Seth said stiffly. "I have somewhere to be."

"Yes, you're going to sit on Kaiba's Private Rock and wait to be seen there instead," Mahad said cleverly, and Seth's ears reddened with embarrassment.

 _I should help him instead of insulting him!_ Mahad realized, his blood running cold with guilt, and he made sure to keep his expression pleasant. _  
_  
There was a tense silence as the two men appraised each other with cold glances.

"You're being run out of your home. I understand," Mahad said gently, giving Seth a sympathetic smile. "They're probably only interested in the shipwreck that landed on top of your colony. Come live in our palace until the humans leave. You're welcome in our kingdom."

"I don't need your pity," Seth growled, and his stomach also growled loudly in protest.

"Then…stay for one meal," Mahad said simply, rising from the ocean floor and dusting the sand off his fins. "Mana is quite fond of you."

"She's fond of _you,_ " Seth shot back shrewdly. "She thinks I'm good for Atem, and I beg to differ."

Mahad nodded, not really listening.

"One meal," The warrior said firmly, reaching his hand out for a friendly shake. "We're on the same side. Let's not fight."

Seth stared apprehensively at Mahad's outstretched hand before he reached out and shook it firmly.

"One meal," He said, dropping his hand quickly and glancing over his shoulder nervously. "Let's leave now."

Mahad agreed and swam ahead without waiting to see if Seth would follow. His chest was tight with conflicting emotions.

Seto Kaiba was insufferable, but Seth was humble and quite tolerable.

Perhaps helping Kaiba return to the ocean would be easier because of his twin brother.

* * *

Kaiba sat stiffly at a restaurant table across from a neatly dressed woman, wrinkling his nose as the waiter set a plate of steaming pasta in front of her.

 _It looks delicious! I wonder what he ordered…I couldn't hear him…._

She nodded at Kaiba politely, placing her hands together, her mouth moving as her thoughts flowed out of her loudly.

 _He looks so youthful, my gosh I've hit the jackpot! I wonder if he dyes his hair!_

Kaiba frowned and didn't move a muscle on his face.

He had decided to forgo wearing the steel cuffs, because these blind dates were getting repetitive and boring, to a point where the only kick he got out of it was listening to what people really thought about him.

A bowl of squash soup appeared in front of him and he kept his arms folded across his chest, trying to suppress a gag. This wasn't fish or meat, but the smell was making him sick.

"Anything else, sir? Ma'am?" The waiter bowed and stood beside their table, holding two bottles of wine out for them to inspect. "This is a subtle red…"

Kaiba calmly gazed into the waiter's face, listening to him panic on the inside.

 _I wish I memorized it a bit better…I hope this mother-and-son duo will give me a good rating after they leave. I really need that raise!_

Disgusted, Kaiba leaned back into his seat, wondering why the hell the man thought this woman could possibly be his mother? She was younger than him by 5 years on her profile. Did she look old to the waiter?

"We'll take that one," she said sweetly, nodding at the wine in the waiter's hands. "What do you think, Mr. Kaiba?"

"Anything is fine," Kaiba said, barely able to hear himself speak over the surprised shout of the waiter in his mind.

 _WHAT! This is Mr. Kaiba?! Wait, this is not Mokuba Kaiba, which means this is…SETO KAIBA?! IS HE FOR REAL?! He looks younger my niece in college!  
Who is his plastic surgeon? Man…I want to look that good when I'm 40…._

Mildly annoyed, Kaiba turned to the gaping water who was unstopping the wine with a shaking hand and spoke to him.

"Are you finished?"

The waiter sloshed the wine messily into the glass, looking confused. "I-I'm sorry Mr. Kaiba, I'm nearly finished pouring."

"No, I meant, what makes you think I've had cosmetic surgery?" Kaiba asked coldly, watching the blood drain rapidly from the man's face and his date stifled a gasp.

"He didn't say anything, Mr. Kaiba, don't mind him," the woman said, waving her hand airily at him, trying to diffuse the tension in the air. "Thank you, leave the bottle!"

The waiter thunked the wine down clumsily onto the ice bucket on the table and rushed away, nearly tripping over himself as he went.

Kaiba glowered at him after he left, hearing the woman's thoughts floating through his mind.

 _Wow…that was ugly. I kind of want to leave now…_

Tossing the napkin down onto the table, Kaiba slowly rose to his feet and bowed stiffly, barely ducking his head down to her level as he forced himself to be polite.

"I'm leaving. Thank you for your time." He said, and then he turned hurriedly towards the exit, hearing her stunned thoughts growing farther away the faster he walked.

 _Wh—What?! Is he psychic? Well, good riddance! At least he saved me some trouble, how embarrassing! The rumors about him are true._

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba strode out into the street and opted to go for a walk to cool off. That had been another disaster.  
How many disasters had he sat through so far?

Kaiba counted 48. One meal a week, for 48 weeks.

Almost an entire year had passed in this meaningless way.

He had yet to make it through one dinner unscathed.

If the food wasn't putting him off, it was the smell of another person's food, and when it wasn't that, it was the person sitting across from him, annoyingly asking questions he didn't care to answer.

How long did Mokuba want him to keep this act up? Between these dinners and babysitting, Kaiba wasn't sure which was worse.

He was beginning to prefer babysitting.

Circling the block, Kaiba passed the familiar convenience store again, and he saw the woman with long white hair, once again sitting on the bench, hanging her head.

 _She's always being so fucking depressing_ , Kaiba thought darkly to himself, noticing that she was wearing the green employee apron belonging to the convenience store. _Oh, she works in there. No wonder._

Sighing, Kaiba continued on his way, intent on ignoring her. He was almost at the end of the street when he heard a faint thought behind him.

 _He must've had a bad day at work, and now he's going out drinking._

Kaiba bit the tip of his tongue and stood on the street corner, watching the light turn red, listening to her narrate his every move.

 _He missed the light. Usually, he walks faster, so I guess he had a really really bad day. Can't be as bad as the days I've been having._

Cars slowly inched by as the light turned yellow and Kaiba decided to turn around and walk back to the convenience store, marching straight in through the sliding doors without looking at her once.

 _Oh fuck! I can control him with my mind! He needs to buy something._

Startled by her sudden vulgarity, he turned to glance at the bench, noticing that it was empty. A door slammed in the distance and she appeared behind the counter, looking haggard and exhausted.

"Welcome in," she said dully, not bothering to bow.

Kaiba took one look at her face and felt himself slip, his heart slowing to an incredulous pound in his chest as he gazed into her eyes.

She was amazingly beautiful, even under the cheap fluorescent lights. Her cheeks were lacking color, looking unhealthily sallow, and green circles hugged her puffy under eyes. Her pupils were a wonderful, baby blue, but they were deadened and dark, almost as if her soul was missing. Her hair was so incredibly long, it hung like a white sheet down to her hips, grazing the top of the counter while she stood there with her arms crossed, staring him in the silence.

"My mistake," Kaiba said evenly, his heart pounding so thickly inside his throat, he could barely breathe.

She blinked slowly at him once, her eyes widening steadily as she said nothing.

He tried to decipher her name scrawled in marker across her nametag, and he dared to stare for a second longer before he walked right back out the sliding doors, feeling unusually light-headed.  
What was this feeling? Love?  
It was very similar to what he felt for Atem, and that thought frightened him.

Fighting with himself, Kaiba raced across the street without caring if the light was red.

Something about her set him on fire.

 _I've always liked women_ , he thought furiously to himself, trying to calm the rapid pounding inside his chest. Atem was the exception, wasn't he?

Finding out her name was going to be hard because he couldn't read the careless handwriting on the tag. Now he had to wait a whole week until his next matchmaking date to walk by her again so it wouldn't be weird.

* * *

Seth kept the smile plastered on his face as Mana pulled him around and introduced him to everyone in the kingdom, from the chatty ladies at the salon to the elders in their walled-up dwellings.

"I would like to see Atem," he'd said multiple times, but had been politely ignored.

"You'll get to see him plenty later on," she said, pouting, and Seth felt his eyelid twitch in annoyance.

"I need to leave after the banquet. Please, let me speak to him now—"

"You'll be seated across from him at the banquet," Mana had protested, gripping his hand tightly and lacing her fingers through his. "What's new with you?"

It was then that he'd been saved by Mahad, and she pulled away from him blushing, turning to give Mahad a warm hug.

Swimming away rapidly, Seth tried to keep a pleasant expression on his face, but he found that was growing harder to do as random people waved and bowed at him.

Suddenly, a strong arm looped around his neck and tackled him down heavily in the water.

"HEYYY! KAIBA!" A voice yelled in his ear, and he was yanked violently to the side while another pair of arms crushed him around his waist. "Yo! Rich boy! Nice to see you're alive!"

Thrashing his tail frantically, Seth struggled against the arms pulling at him, realizing he was already being mistaken for Seto.

How was his human brother so famous in these waters?

"Let… _go_ …you _imbeciles_!" Seth gasped, elbowing the blond merman in the ribs and hearing him let out a yelp of pain.

"I-Is that how you thank me?" Joey doubled over, coughing weakly and hanging onto Tristan for support. "I totally made a case for you in the throne room, man! You should be _thankin'_ me!"

"Yeah dude!" Tristan cried, glaring. "What're you doing swimming around out here? Why aren't you busy smashing tails with Atem?"

"I am _not_ Seto," Seth raged, giving the two unfamiliar warriors a glare. "I am his twin brother, Seth! And yes, I am looking for Atem, but not to smash anything. Lead me to his throne room. I want a meeting—"

"TWIN BROTHER?!" Tristan howled, throwing himself forward and crushing Seth into another hug. "Damn, you two _do_ look alike!"

"Wow…wow!" Joey cried, running his hand intrusively down Seth's fins, spreading the bottom of his tail out in a wide fan, waving it forcefully back and forth. "That must mean he's this color too. Dude, my mind is blown. Are you seeing this?"

"Let…me…go!" Seth hissed, but to his rising horror, the two men ignored him, poking and prodding at him like he was a rag doll, spreading his hands and even lifting his hair to look behind his neck.

"No mark here," Joey announced, dropping Seth's hair and circling the merman with a look of deep intrigue. "That's how we'll tell them apart."

"What?" Seth fumed, and he decided he didn't care. "Stop wasting my time and take me to Atem's throne room. I have a matter to discuss with him."

The two men stared at him before they burst out laughing, eyeing him with a slight hint of fear in their eyes.

"H-He even sounds like him!" Tristan gasped, stifling a laugh as Joey snickered in agreement. "Yeah man, this is wild. Do you think Kaiba knows? He's got to know, right?"

Thoroughly fed up, Seth turned hastily with an arrogant swish of his tail and swam towards the palace gates, intent on ignoring the two warriors, but they caught up with him easily, circling him playfully as he swam steadily forward, raining non-stop questions down upon him.

"Does your shit smell the same?"

"Do you want to cut your hair? Maybe grow out your claws a little more!"

"Hey, can you smile? Lemme see your fangs dude!"

"Do you eat what he eats?"

"Who gets more ladies, you or him? You, right?"

"Can you guys read each other's minds?"

"Does he know you exist?"

"MEN!" Seth cried, whirling around and holding his hands up defensively, now desperately wishing he had a weapon to fight with. "Leave me alone or get me a Hearing with Atem. This is serious."

Joey and Tristan sobered up and nodded.  
They grabbed Seth by the arm, flanking him steadily and pulling him in through the palace gates, flashing the guards a thumbs up as they swam past.

The guards acknowledged them with a stiff nod and looked straight ahead past their shoulders as if they didn't exist.

Seth glanced nervously back at the guards over his shoulder.  
Was security lax or were these two morons considered high-ranking warriors?

They drifted past another royal official wearing large earrings, and the man gaped at him, the color draining from his face as they floated by.

His thoughts echoed sharply in Seth's mind, and he winced at the sudden loudness.

 _S-Seto Kaiba?!_

"Middle fingas up," Tristan said obnoxiously, giving Shadi the finger. "Smell ya' later, donut ears."

Horrified, Seth whipped his head around to stare at the official who looked equally as stunned.

His earlier assumption had been wrong.  
His brother Seto wasn't famous, he was… _in_ famous.

They turned the corner and Seth found himself being led down a magnificent hallway lined with artful pillars that looked like they had been made in his colony, and his neck ached from all the craning.

"Did my colony sign a trade agreement with yours several millennia ago?" Seth wondered aloud, and he was met with careless shrugs.

"I failed all my written exams," the blond one answered proudly, and the spiky brown-haired one said, "I hate history, so I only barely passed."

Shaking his head in silent disbelief, he was deposited at a closed door that was lined beautifully with gemstone accents, and a solid gold triangle sat inlaid in the center, with bursts of white diamonds streaming out from it like rays of sun.

Yes, this door was definitely the handiwork of someone from his colony….

"Knock knock, delivery!" Joey sang, and the two men darted away hastily, grinning and snickering to themselves.

Unsure of what to do with himself, Seth squared his shoulders back and tossed his hair over his shoulders, trying to look presentable.

The door creaked open and then shut again with a loud click.

 _Go…away,_ came a dull thought, and Seth frowned, wondering what he'd done to offend the king.

"King Atem," Seth said politely, mustering a smile. "I come seeking your help lifting the ban on Human Artifacts. My colony is in ruins as you've seen, and I think reinstating this trade agreement will help bring business back to my home."

Atem leaned against the door and sighed.  
It seemed Seth had stopped by in person to ask for a favor, and it was purely business.

Slightly relieved, Atem opened the door to let Seth in, turning away quickly so he wouldn't have to make eye contact.

Seth decided to stay in the doorway, amused by all the shiny KC logo belts hanging from Atem's walls. They were exactly like the ones he'd seen Seto wearing last week. The king had also somehow managed to get his hands on a formal suit and tie.

If he didn't know any better, it almost looked like Atem was trying to emulate Seto's soul in the décor.

"You really like Human Artifacts," Seth said finally, feeling a wave of sweet relief wash over him. "I thought I'd have to do a lot more convincing."

"Come in and shut the door," Atem's eyes darted nervously to the left when he thought he saw Shadi float by in the hallway.

Seth obliged and inched inside, closing the heavy door behind him and spying a glossy magazine with Seto's face on it, lying face down atop Atem's pillow, and his heart clenched strangely.

It seemed Atem loved Seto earnestly, enough to have his face displayed clearly in his room.

"I will try to lift the ban," Atem said keenly, following Seth's gaze to the magazine on his pillow, and he didn't move to hide it. "But my court is very anti-human at the moment. I've had my friends smuggle these items to me. I must seem like a hypocrite to you."

"I know you personally don't uphold all the laws," Seth replied kindly, unable to tear his eyes away from the glossy magazine with Seto's face on it. "Can you lift the ban for books and toys? Cosmetics too, perhaps? Harmless items. Perhaps add a clause stating that we can safely trade the artifacts if they have educational value?"

Atem tilted his head curiously and nodded. "Yes. I'll remember that and bring it up."

There was a long, awkward silence, and Seth decided he could divulge the entire truth to Atem, after all, the merking's room was filled with Seto's gifts.

If Seto and Atem really loved each other, they were practically family, and secrets would only harm their relationship.

"We are rebuilding our colony," Seth said in a rush, "and we are keeping it a secret. Please, if you could change this law within the next moon, the better off we will be."

"We?" Atem echoed incredulously, still unable to look Seth in the eye. "Who is we?"

"Seto and I," Seth said, thinking that it was obvious. "He's employed a team of humans to lift the rusted ship out of my waters. We will be done soon, I think. Then we can go back to making beautiful items for your kingdom…such as your door, and those pillars that flank this very hall."

Atem's heart skipped a beat and he finally met Seth's soft, blue-eyed gaze for the first time, and his mind raced with questions.

It seemed Seth had connected with Kaiba on land, and they were now an unstoppable team, but more importantly….

"Your people built…my kingdom?" Atem whispered hoarsely, growing weak all over.  
This would explain Kaiba's mad ingenuity.  
That meant Kaiba's kingdom's success would rival his own!  
How terrifying.

"Yes, we did," Seth answered readily, wondering why this came as such a surprise. "We come from a long line of Architects and Engineers. I was learning the trade from my father before—well, before the wars…."

Atem nodded silently, at a loss for words. He managed to give Seth a smile and he gestured towards the door.

"I will do my best to repeal this law, and I will be successful," Atem said seriously, wondering who he had to start convincing to make this possible. "If I do this for you…Seto will appreciate it, right?"

"Yes!" Seth cried, bowing deeply out of habit. "You will bring us back onto the map as one of the most respected kingdoms on this side of the ocean. Thank you."

Atem moved to open the door for Seth, his chest churning with longing and despair.

 _Don't thank me yet_ , he replied in his thoughts, seeing the shadow of Rishid hovering at the end of the hall. _Everyone is watching us. Stay vigilant and we will achieve this goal together._

Seth nodded gratefully and hovered in the hallway, giving Atem one last smile over his shoulder.

 _I'm glad we're family_ , he said, catching the startled look from Atem. A blush started creeping across the king's cheeks, and the door was shut quietly in his face.

Swimming off down the hall in a hurry, Seth avoided the cold looks from several mermen hovering at the end of the hall, and made his way out the front gates of the palace, his mind filled with thoughts of Seto and how they could put their heads together to improve their home.

* * *

Kaiba quietly excused himself from the table and grabbed his blazer off the back of the chair, ignoring the angry thoughts from his date seeping in through his mind as he hurried to the exit.

This was now his 49th week in the matchmaking program, and he was unintentionally gunning for the world record of failed dates.

He had been obsessively thinking about the white-haired girl from the convenience store all week. Also, it seemed Seth was too busy to pay him a visit this week, because the merman had neglected to show his face, so Kaiba tried to brush it off like it was nothing.

He knew it was hard to keep track of time underwater based on what he had seen in Atem's visions but receiving radio silence as thanks for the ocean clean-up was starting to get on his nerves.

Quickening his pace, Kaiba half-jogged down the street, consumed with a desperate eagerness. Why he was so excited to catch a glimpse of the sad stranger, he had no idea, but since consuming the scales, Kaiba had learned to listen to his instincts.

He had also begun to believe that everything happened for reason, and for a man who always believed in science and solid proof, this was the hardest concept for him to grasp.

Slowing down considerably when he saw the glowing convenience store sign, he made sure to look straight ahead, listening intently for her thoughts, and sure enough, one drifted by as he passed a pair of sliding glass doors.

 _Ah! He totally spaced out last time I saw him. Maybe he was drunk then. Is he drunk now?_

Pausing mid-step, Kaiba decided to throw caution to the wind, and he turned slowly to give the white-haired woman sitting on the bench a casual wave.

She stiffened and stared at him blankly, not waving back, but her thoughts were crystal clear.

 _What? What he does he want? Do we know each other?_

Kaiba tossed his blazer over his shoulder and slowly approached the bench, easing down onto the empty spot beside her and aiming his gaze up at the dark night sky.

"A waning half moon," Kaiba said noncommittally, thinking it was almost time for him to take another dose of the dried anemone.  
Seth's "cure" was bullshit.  
The medicine wasn't working because he was still feeling nauseous, even now.

"Yes, it is." She replied quietly, but her mind's voice sounded angry.

 _Get off my bench!_

"I like your bench," Kaiba said playfully, wondering if this would ease some of the tension, and he was wrong.

A cold silence followed, and Kaiba instinctively touched his wrists, making sure he wasn't wearing the steel cuffs.

"Stop hitting on me," she said quietly, and Kaiba turned to gaze into her pretty face for the first time since he'd sat down, his stomach doing odd flips as he lingered on her pink lips.

"I'm not," he replied bluntly, and she shook her head sadly. Her long white hair fell gracefully over her cheeks, hiding her face.

Another tense silence brewed between them, and Kaiba itched all over, unable to stomach it anymore.

"I'm really not hitting on you," he continued gently, kicking himself for not preparing for a hostile reception. "I see you sitting here all the time, so I thought I'd say hello."

"Yes, because young, handsome, suit-wearing businessmen like you have a lot of time for little old ladies like me," she said quietly, and Kaiba felt himself smile.

Why did she sound just as cynical as he felt? It was a good feeling.

"No, really, who put you up to it?" She pressed, now sounding oddly determined, and she swept her gaze up and down the empty street. "Are your friends hiding behind that building? Who is recording this? Are you trying to pick up an old lady as a conquest?"

Frowning in confusion, Kaiba shook his head. "What? No, I mean it. Every week I walk by, I see you sitting here…crying, and it pisses me off. So stop doing that."

"I see. The invisibility spell didn't work," she muttered under her breath, and Kaiba blinked rapidly, feeling his heart swell enormously. This woman was…endearing.

"Tell me about it," Kaiba said simply, crossing his arms tightly and giving her a nod. "You've got nothing to lose. Unload on a stranger."

Slowly trailing his gaze down her slender form, he saw a dainty ring sitting on her forefinger, sporting a familiar, fiery blue stone.

A shard of ice shot through his core as he stared so hard at it, his eyes watered.

"Oh, this?" She noticed him staring and wiggled her fingers slowly before covering it with her other hand. "Don't worry. This was my grandmother's ring from five generations ago, and it symbolizes a broken marriage of 20 years with a man who left me for a younger woman."

"A family heirloom…" Kaiba said quietly through numb lips. "May I take a closer look?"

"Why?" She asked plainly. "I already said I'm not married. You heard what you wanted to know."

"Let me see it," Kaiba demanded, dropping all pretenses and flashing her a glare. "Please."

"He says 'please,'" she smiled teasingly for the first time and held her hand out shakily.

Kaiba ignored the comment and grabbed her hand, turning the ring this way and that in the low light.

It was a simple triangular stone set with delicate gold prongs.

Kaiba's breath slowly left his body when he thought he recognized the triangle symbol carved on all of the spears he'd received from Atem.  
Was it possible that this ring…came from Atem's kingdom?  
Did that mean this white-haired girl was distantly related to a mermaid?

Maybe that would explain her breathtaking allure and beauty.

"What's your name?" Kaiba asked, barely able to contain himself. "Please tell me."

"Oh, he says 'please' again." She smiled brightly and Kaiba gazed hungrily into her face, taking in her radiance in under the dim streetlamp above their heads.

He now understood where Joey was coming from when he said Mai looked like a goddess. He felt that way about this woman here.  
She looked like a wholesome, blue-eyed goddess with pale skin and flowing white hair.

"I'm Kisara," and she bowed her head forward politely. "Nice to meet you. What is your name?"

"Seto," Kaiba said instantly, wondering where all his manners had gone—out the window apparently, because he couldn't move or bow back. He was rooted to the spot with awe. Every single one of her movements were impossibly angelic. Even her blinking was pretty.

"A plain but popular name," she commented bluntly. "Your parents were creative."

"…Kaiba," he added spitefully, and he watched in silent glee as her mouth dropped open in shock.

She stared intently into his face, her cheeks steadily reddening before she looked away pointedly with a sniff.

"You look like a student. Nice prank. I didn't fall for it."

Slightly disgruntled, Kaiba reached into his wallet for his ID, wondering why everyone had been doubting him lately. It used to be every day where he'd be recognized anywhere he went, and now, it seemed like he had been turned into a mere memory.

Perhaps this was the poison of fame.  
Mokuba was more notable than him right now.

He handed her the shiny plastic card, and she glanced down at it, her shoulders shaking visibly as she tried to hold back laughter.

"I thought you looked familiar!" She cried, her demeanor changing instantly. "You know, I used to have _such_ a crush on you when I was 19! I had posters of you up on my wall, can you believe that? You haven't changed a bit!"

Kaiba shoved his ID back into his pocket, slightly confused.  
What did she mean by that? She looked youthful enough.  
There wasn't a wrinkle on her face, and her skin was glowing aside from the grey shadows of stress hugging her under eyes.

"So, is this what you do for fun, Seto Kaiba?" she asked playfully, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "You hit on old ladies working the night shift at convenience stores?"

Kaiba blinked rapidly and spoke without thinking.

"Marry me."

She scoffed, pressing a hand to her mouth to laugh demurely.

"You are hilarious!" She cried, patting a hand to her cheek and gazing up at him with sparkling eyes. "The twenty-year-old in me says 'yes'! But we're not suited for each other you know—"

Kaiba reached out and grabbed her hand, wondering if he should get down on one knee.

She didn't pull away and stared intently back in his eyes, blinking rapidly, her cheeks slowly reddening.

"Please," he repeated, thinking something had possessed him, making him act like a madman who had never seen a beautiful woman before in his life. "I'm tired of being alone. The person I'm chasing hasn't come around, and he told me to live my life, so…I'm doing that. Marry me."

Kisara retracted her hand quickly and rubbed her wrist nervously.

"Him?" She whispered; her blue eyes wide with curiosity. "Where is he now?"

"A million miles away, living his own damn life," Kaiba said stiffly, deciding he would get down on one knee after all.  
She wasn't taking him seriously.

He moved to get up, and she cried out nervously, "wait, where are you going?"

Kaiba paused, listening for a stray thought to leak from her consciousness, but there was nothing but golden silence.

He took this chance to slowly kneel before her, and he held his hand out invitingly, his heart thundering in his chest so loudly, it became a low hum.

"I really like you and I can't figure out why," Kaiba breathed, his ears ringing with disbelief when she willingly placed her hand in his. "I live on a beachside property, and there will be a driver to take you anywhere you want. Just stay with me…as a life companion, and I'll take care of you."

Kisara blinked slowly once, her eyes glistening at the corners with emotion as she gazed down into Kaiba's handsome face, wondering if she was hallucinating.  
Was this a cruel joke?  
What kind of man who belonged on the cover of a magazine wanted to seriously marry a 50-year-old lady way past her prime?  
And when he said 'I', he really meant 'his money', right?

"Right," Kaiba said readily, giving her hand a warm squeeze. "Was there something you've always wanted to do? Marry me, and you can have it. My family is giving me hell for being single, and you are the answer to all my problems."

"I-I've always wanted…" Kisara's voice caught in her throat, and she composed herself before trying again. "I've always wanted to work a better job. I want to travel…or study interior design! I want to undo the past 30 years of my life…! I've wasted my good looks and my energy working a horrible job for a husband who didn't care for me! I want to do it over again!"

 _Then…you will get to do it over again_ , Kaiba thought viciously, giving her hand another tentative squeeze.

She withdrew her hand and took a deep, shuddering breath, hugging herself protectively, trying to hide the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Touched, Kaiba moved to sit closer beside her, unsure of what to do.

He let her silently cry at his side, feeling an odd protective strength well up inside him.

If he wasn't going to take the matchmaking seriously, he might as well jump into the deep end and marry a stranger who needed his help more than anything.

Then it would bring the horrible dinner-dating roulette to an end, and along with it, relief.

She slowly began to calm down, and Kaiba saw a man walk through the store and pop his head out of the sliding doors, calling out to them.

"Miss? Please come in for your shift!"

"She's quitting!" Kaiba called back loudly. "Go away."

The man frowned and hesitated for a moment before deciding it was best not to argue, and he disappeared back inside.

There was a long silence, and she broke it with a quiet whisper.

"You're ten years younger than me. What will people say?"

Slightly taken aback by this news, Kaiba gazed down at the top of her head where silvery white hair glowed under soft moonlight and he flashed her a half-smile.

"Who cares what people say? You don't look a day over 30."

"Well, some people say 25, but thank you," she said sassily, quickly going back to her old self. "If you're really serious about this, let me give you my information…"

She patted around her apron pocket and produced her wallet, handing him her ID, and Kaiba accepted it with both hands this time, remembering his manners.

He received another shock when he stared at her ID photo.  
It didn't look anything like her.  
An aging woman with sagging jowls and bright eyes gazed back at him, her long white hair hanging like two long sheets down the sides of her wrinkled face.

Nervous, Kaiba raised his head to stare at her, seeing a completely youthful face.

Kisara tilted her head and smiled radiantly back at him, her angular eyes gleaming and her cheeks plump with joy.

What the…hell? Was this some kind of…mermaid magic? Was he hallucinating?

"Do you remember it all or do you need to take a photo?" She asked playfully.

Kaiba slipped out his phone silently to snap a picture of her ID, noting that she lived in one of the tiny low-income apartment units downtown.

"Let's take a photo together, to…commemorate," Kaiba said hastily, thinking he would never ever suggest such a thing, but he had to make sure he wasn't going crazy. The camera didn't lie.  
His own eyes couldn't be trusted.

"Of course… Seto," she leaned her head closer to his shoulder, smiling shyly for the camera as Kaiba held it in front of their faces, feeling his stomach twist wonderfully at the way she'd said his name.

Gazing into the screen, Kaiba saw his own face, pale and shadowy from the horrible yellow streetlamp above, and her face beside him, glowing with happiness as she smiled prettily.

His thumb moved, pressing the shutter button, and he held the phone up to inspect the picture.

His own face looked normal enough, but her face looked drastically different from what he saw. Again, an unrecognizable blue-eyed woman with a grey, sallow face stared up at him, smiling happily this time, and her teeth were very white against her pale skin.

Interesting…  
Was it the ring?  
Was the ring superimposing this youthful face over an old one?

"Is it a good photo?" She asked, sounding slightly worried, and Kaiba composed himself, deciding he would eventually figure it out.

"You're photogenic," he said evenly, relieved that he hadn't lost all his charm. "You're prettier than all the girls I've ever seen in my life."

The corners of Kisara's mouth twitched upwards into a hesitant smile before she threw her head back and laughed wonderfully.

"Yes, this is the kind of husband I deserve!" She giggled, playfully nudging him with her elbow. "It's too bad you're gay, right? I understand. We can get married for appearances and the arrangement works well both ways. First, let's go to Italy."

Kaiba swallowed thinly and tucked his phone away, automatically reaching for her hands again, and he held them tightly, wondering why it felt like something was slipping away from him.

"I'm glad you understand," he said stiffly, gazing deeply into her eyes, feeling as if he was falling headfirst into the ocean. "Your eyes are…beautiful."

She smiled, leaning forward to bump her nose against his, and Kaiba jerked back quickly, startled, feeling his chest tighten painfully with an unfamiliar feeling.  
Fear? Anxiety? Confusion? ….Love?  
Or was it…happiness?  
It had been so long since he'd felt genuine human connection or anything remotely positive, he wasn't sure how to personally define 'love' anymore.

"I'll call you a cab," Kaiba said instantly, slowly reaching out with shaking hands to untie the knot of the apron from around her neck. "Go home and pack a bag. A car will be at your front door tomorrow morning."

"I want to have breakfast in Paris," she whispered longingly, giving his wrists a tight squeeze. "Can we do that?"

"Yes, I'll book a flight," Kaiba answered seriously, feeling a delirious laugh climbing up his chest. He was really doing this. "Let's get you home first."

She nodded, gazing down at the apron bundled in her lap with shining eyes.

"Thank you…" she whispered. "…You've given me…freedom."

Kaiba watched as she tossed the apron down on the bench with a huff, "Ha! Take that, Yellow Mart! Sell your own energy drinks!" And then she turned to give him a delightful grin.

He bit back a laugh and rose to his feet, feeling her hang warmly onto his arm, giving him another radiant smile. Her smiles made him feel like he was flying…

She let go suddenly and walked a few paces ahead, pointing at the trees in the distance across the road.

"No need for a cab," Kisara said happily, already halfway down the street, calling over her shoulder. "I live right across the way. See you tomorrow morning, my dear husband!"

Stunned, Kaiba stayed rooted to the spot, watching her beautiful white hair sway behind her back as she dashed across the road and disappeared around the corner.

Sinking back down onto the bench, Kaiba gathered her green apron onto his lap and held in his shaking hands.  
What _the fuck_ was he doing?!  
He was proposing brashly to an old woman who was a pure stranger.  
She looked stunningly angelic whenever he laid his eyes on her, but photos told another story.

It had something to do with the ring, and if he had to marry her to get his hands on it, Kaiba decided he would do it.

One thing he knew for certain was that merpeople were really protective of the stones with the fiery blue cores, so the ring had to have some significance.

It did help that it was attached to the slender finger of a radiant beauty.

 _Take that, Mokuba_ , Kaiba growled to himself, rising to his feet and walking slowly into the convenience store to return the apron.

Finally, Mokuba and Isono would get off his back about being married.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Mana is happy Seth takes up her offer but it's purely business, much to Atem's relief.  
Seth resents Mahad because he likes Mana, and gets run out of his home by Kaiba's divers who came several days early to clear out debris.  
Kaiba hates babysitting Noah.  
He also hates dating so much, he proposed to a random stranger he feels deeply attracted to (the lady with eyes of blue/ the spirit of the blue eyes white dragon/kazuki takahashi's cannon pair!) who was wearing mysterious mer-made jewelry, thinking it will get him closer to Atem.  
(will it though?)  
(Also he clearly struggles with being bi lol)  
(did it happen a bit too fast?)  
(that was the intention though)

NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!  
this chapter was edited by: chocolateyeti

I hope everyone is staying saFe from the CORONAvIrUS. let's all stay home and binge-read fanfiction together. i've been in self-quarantine since march 2, so my q-time anniversary is coming up on april 2! :DDDD -mini celebration-!

hugs,  
Ugli


	39. Chapter 39

Kaiba stepped into the lobby at headquarters and was immediately bowed inside by the girl who worked Mokuba's front desk.

Trying to keep the irritation from showing on his face, Kaiba let her walk him to the elevators, where the doors quickly slid open to reveal his younger brother, dressed smartly in a lilac vest with his long black hair tied back into a firm ponytail.

"Seto!" Mokuba grinned happily and reached out to grab his brother by the arm, nodding at his receptionist. "Thank you, Amai-san."

She blushed and hurried away. Kaiba watched her go with an air of disdain and gave his brother an exhausted glare.

"Your child is a menace," Kaiba said, and Mokuba laughed heartily, clapping him on the back.

"Did you know he can say my name?" Mokuba asked excitedly, his eyes gleaming with joy. "He said 'da-da' at dinner last night. You missed it."

"…Is that so?" Kaiba replied plainly, leaning against the elevator railing, realizing Mokuba had changed it the shape of it from a rounded edge to a solid slab wrapping all the way around the entire car.

What else had changed since he'd been away?

Mokuba tapped the button for the bottommost floor and he gave his older brother a warm hug around the shoulders.

"I called you here because we dug up some interesting stuff from that dive," Mokuba said, giving Seto a knowing look. "Maybe you'll know what to do with it."

"It's all garbage. What the hell do I want with it?" Kaiba asked gruffly, and Mokuba smiled gently at him again as the elevator jolted to a stop. The doors slid open and Kaiba followed Mokuba down a familiar hallway, passing by several lab technicians he didn't recognize.

"Welcome, Mr. Kaiba…." man bowed them into a separate room and shut the door behind them.

"Hello Mr. Kaiba…" another woman approached them, carrying an electronic pad, and she handed it to Mokuba before stepping away respectfully.

Everyone greeted them politely, but Kaiba had a feeling Mokuba was the one they were talking to.

He felt invisible. Maybe he was invisible.

He received another heavy shock when a lab technician rushed up to them and bowed, addressing Mokuba as "Mr. Nakamura".  
Right.  
Because Mokuba had said he wanted nothing more to do with the Kaiba name and had taken his wife's surname instead.

"This way," a man with a watermelon sticker on his nametag gestured for them to follow.

Kaiba's eyes widened when they walked into an adjacent lab that had sprawling metal tables set up along the walls, and a large wooden slab was propped up in the middle of the room.

It was a fucking…tombstone!

Mer-writing was stamped neatly across the board, and upon closer look, it seemed the wood had been processed and preserved to hold underwater because it was untouched by algae and wear.

On the surrounding metal tables, Kaiba recognized a pile of rusty spears, several mesh sacks that had been dried, and an odd assortment of mer-made jewelry spilling out of a clay pot that clearly looked like it came from several decades ago.

"What is this…" Kaiba breathed, feeling a slight headache coming on as he thought he recognized his own name imprinted at the very top of the wooden slab.  
That was impossible because he couldn't read Mer-writing.  
But he had been able to read Seth's note.  
It had to be impossible, right?  
Did ingesting scales give him the ability to read?

"I dunno. I thought _you'd_ know, considering how you've been doing this longer than I have," Mokuba said with a shrug. "Wanna see what happens when we turn off the lights?"

Kaiba shook his head, half-dreading what they would discover.

"Turn off the lights and draw the blinds," Mokuba commanded, and the lab technician hurried to obey. The sharp rattle of plastic blinds fell over the windows, cutting out light from other parts of the lab, and the switch was flipped, throwing the room into absolute darkness.

Kaiba blinked rapidly, biting back a startled gasp as the wooden tombstone was illuminated with an intricate drawing.

The names had disappeared into the dark, and a family of merpeople were illustrated on the surface with glowing lines, side-by-side with their clawed hands nearly touching, looking as if they were swimming upwards towards rays of sunlight.

Their glistening tails nearly reached the very bottom of the slab, and every scale on their fins had been drawn with wonderful precision.

A beautiful merman and mermaid had their arms outstretched towards the rays sun streaming down from sky, and their two mer-children were trailing between them, their faces turned upwards, smiling at their parents.

They were both boys.

One had long, flowing hair and the other…had a short hairstyle, almost too similar to his own. Above the mer-family's heads, a short phrase was written in neat calligraphic symbols: _"King Heliodor and Queen Maxixe, with Prince Seth and Seto."_

Unable to breathe, Kaiba just stared.

He _could_ read it.  
His eyes weren't playing tricks on him.  
He could read the entire thing.  
This was a fucking tombstone and his first name was on it.  
Was this someone's idea of a joke?  
Was this a prank that Seth was playing on him?  
He had insisted on proof, so was this supposed to be the proof?!  
Granted, Seth's blood tests hadn't come back yet, because Mokuba was running the lab….

"…Cool, right?" Mokuba smiled, oblivious to Seto's distress. "We had our scientists test it out, and you know those bioluminescent fish? They used _those_ to draw this on there…"

Kaiba tuned Mokuba out acutely, the glowing lines burned steadily into his mind as he stared at the drawing of the two mer-children, their smiling faces eerily blank. They were profiles of a face, and they didn't resemble anyone in particular, but the hairstyle was really throwing him off.

It had to be fake.

How the hell could he accept this as proof?

Just because his first name was carved on a piece of garbage they'd hauled up from the ocean didn't mean anything.

"….So….maybe we can work on translating it?" Mokuba tilted his head and gave Seto a nudge. "Earth to Seto. Museum. Translation. Can Joey and Tristan read? This is like, mermaid language, right?"

Mokuba wanted to display this symbol of death in a museum? H-Hell no!

"Put it back…" Kaiba said numbly, growing cold all over and trembling slightly as he tried to compose himself. "Put it right back where it was. This is a tombstone."

"What?!" Mokuba cried, throwing a frantic glance at the lab technician behind him, who hastily flipped on the lights.

The striking image of the merfamily disappeared and Kaiba found himself staring at hundreds and thousands of names again.  
It made him sick.  
A tight bubble of nausea sat low in his chest and he swallowed thinly, trying to keep himself from vomiting.

"Whose tombstone is it? That family's?" Mokuba asked, now looking deeply curious. "Did they teach you how to read?"

Feeling bile burning his throat, Kaiba pressed a hand over his mouth and moved to the door, his eyes darting around the floor for a waste basket as he nodded frantically. The pressure was rising horribly, and his eyes were watering….

"You're gonna hurl?" Mokuba cried, his eyes wide with panic. "Trash—trash can! Here!"

He dashed over to a sink and yanked out a large silver can, kicking it over to his older brother. Kaiba grabbed it and bent over, heaving, feeling his cheeks and ears grow hot with violent humiliation as his tongue stung with the horrible metallic taste of blood.

Oh…fucking shit.

Had he forgotten to take the last dose of dried anemones? It seemed like it.  
This vomit tasted nastier than all the rest

"Seto…oh god…do I need to call a doctor?" Mokuba asked nervously, running his hand reassuringly up and down Kaiba's back, and Kaiba took deep, steady breaths, finding that Mokuba's warm touch helped.  
Touching…helped.

"I'm fine…get…water…" Kaiba gasped, feeling another violent heave climbing its way up his chest, and Mokuba rushed away to grab a glass.

Leaning his head stiffly against the side of the metal can, Kaiba faintly recalled Seth's note suggesting he drink more water, and he realized hadn't been doing that.

Water always made him feel sicker…unless….

He had to drink _salt_ water.

Did it have to be a certain kind? If Seth's colony was at the surface, then any saltwater would be fine.

Mokuba returned with a glass of water and Kaiba accepted it from his brother gratefully, taking a tentative sip before rising unsteadily to his feet, spitting into the sink and feeling his head swim terribly.

"Weird question, but…do you have salt?" Kaiba asked, stealing a look at Mokuba and was relieved to see that his brother wasn't disturbed by this question.

"Oh, yeah, Ayame always did a salt-rinse afterwards to keep her teeth clean," Mokuba said cheerfully, and he addressed the lab tech who was standing stiffly by the door. "Mr. Watermelon, can you grab the salt from the top drawer in my desk upstairs?"

The man bowed out of the room and Kaiba set the empty glass down onto the counter, listening to the rapid pounding of his own heart. Elevated heartrate. Shit.

"You okay?" Mokuba asked softly, his brow furrowed with concern. "Hey, I heard one of your dates went well! Can I meet her too? Isono told me you found someone nice—"

"What else did you find?" Kaiba interrupted, his eyes nailed to the rusty spears left in a neat bundle on the metal table across the room. "We're putting all this shit back. We can restore the weapons too."

"What?" Mokuba looked disappointed, and he fidgeted nervously. "Well…do we have to put it _all_ back?"

Kaiba leaned over the sink, feeling another horrible wave of nausea accompanied by a painful clench in his stomach.

That drawing on the wooden slab was making him sick.

And what did Mokuba mean by 'all'?

"What do you want to keep?" Kaiba asked heavily, thinking Seth wouldn't be too happy about it either way. "We need to give the weapons and the tombstone back at the very least."

"Diamonds!" Mokuba cried, his cheeks pink with excitement. "And a fuck ton of precious gems! Like, bags full of them! Wanna see? Are you feeling better?"

"Just…show me," Kaiba breathed, easing himself down on to the floor beside the trash again, not caring how undignified he looked.

He was feeling like absolute shit after seeing that drawing.  
Also, the nausea and the cramps were getting worse with every passing second.

Mokuba walked over to one of the lab stations and pulled out a steel cart, wheeling it over to Seto and proudly pointing at the glass jars all neatly stacked one on top of another, labeled clearly with carat weight, color, and clarity.

Kaiba's head spun wildly as he stared at the numerous jars of diamonds.  
There were…so fucking many of them! Some were tinted yellow, pink, or blue, but the white ones were all shaped like tears…containing memories.

 _They_ are _tears_ , Kaiba realized with another horrible surge of nausea.

Were they…Seth's tears?  
Were they tears shed for all the people written on the tombstone?  
This was an abnormal number of tears, looking like it had come from multiple people.

It made his own stash pale in comparison.

"I wanna make rings and necklaces for Ayame!" Mokuba said excitedly. "There's a list being passed around the office right now. People are staking their bids on the different sizes and shapes. Then we'll sell the rest to the public."

Kaiba shook his head furiously, completely at a loss for words.

These contained memories and pain.  
They shouldn't be worn as jewelry by unsuspecting people in love.

A horrible wave of pain swirled low inside his stomach and Kaiba winced, riding it out steadily as he gazed into Mokuba's angular grey eyes and spoke.

"Mokuba, listen to me," Kaiba said, trying to keep his breathing steady as the nausea subsided. "These…can't be worn as jewelry. They're tears. They're full of pain. If you really want to keep some, let me sift through it and give the ones that don't have…death in them."

"Wh-Wha…t?" Mokuba choked, looking mildly frightened. "W-Wait, is that why they're all pear cuts? I just thought it looked trendy…"

"When you touch them with your bare hands, you can see memories of the people who cried them," Kaiba said, eager to educate his younger brother. "Like these bracelets."

He held up his wrist and showed Mokuba the bracelets Atem had made for him.

"Touch it and you'll see."

"Uh…" Mokuba looked nervous and shook his head. "No thanks. I believe you, Seto. I'm kinda scared I won't be able to forget what I see, especially if it's horrible. Maybe they could be happy tears? But since we dug these up with a tombstone, I'm gonna say no."

Kaiba sighed and nodded, leaning his head carefully onto the cabinets behind him, hating how his body was weak with pain.  
Fuck that stupid wooden slab and that stupid drawing.

"So then, what do I do with all of this?" Mokuba asked shrilly, pointing at the jars with a shaking finger. "People were so excited."

"I said I'll sift through them for you," Kaiba replied, wincing as he shifted his position on the floor and tucked his legs underneath his chin, staving off a rush of pain curling low in his clenching stomach. "I'll give you the 'blank' ones."

"You'd do that for me? …Thanks," Mokuba smiled, visibly relieved. "Hey…are you okay? Do I need to call a doctor for you?"

Kaiba shut his eyes and pressed his forehead to his knees, nodding weakly before he shook his head.

"Call a car to take me back to the beach property," he said through gritted teeth, his legs slowly going numb from pain. "I just need a hot bath and I'll be fine."

"On it!" Mokuba dug out his phone and pressed it to his ear.

Kaiba cursed silently in his mind and slowly rocked back and forth, counting his rapid heartbeats between each clenching wave of nausea.

He really needed to be in ocean water…because something in his blood was screaming for saltwater to envelope his entire body. Cold and hot shivers were running down his spine and Kaiba dimly wondered if this was it.  
This was death.  
He had gone too far with the scales and he couldn't survive too long in or out of water. He had effectively turned himself into a freaky amphibian, and no one could help him now because he was in so much…damn…pain!

"Can you walk?" Mokuba asked nervously, standing and offering his older brother a hand up. "I still have a wheelchair from Ayame's pregnancy. Its stored in one of our janitor closets somewhere."

Kaiba shook his head, his vision fading in and out dangerously just as the lab technician burst back into the room, carrying a box of salt and a glass of water.

"Oh, about time, but too fucking late!" Mokuba snapped. "Get the wheelchair we used to have and bring it here…faster this time, or I'll fire you for being a slow, incompetent ass!"

 _He sounds like me, I'm so fucking proud_ , Kaiba thought weakly, reaching for the box of salt. Hastily dumping a chunk of it into a full glass of water with a shaking hand, he tossed the concoction down his throat without hesitation, feeling a wonderful moisturizing wetness trickle down his body.

The pain instantly subsided and turned into a low thud at the base of his spine.

Holy…. Thank fuck!  
He should've been drinking _saltwater_ this entire damn time!  
Seth should've specified…or maybe he was the idiot for not figuring it out faster.  
It never crossed his mind, because he'd always accidently swallow ocean water when training with Joey and Tristan.

Now that they'd left, he didn't think to actively drink saltwater.

"Did you just… _drink_ that?!" Mokuba cried, his ponytail coming loose as he shoved a hand through his hair in distress. "Seto! You can't—you're not supposed to drink that! That was Maldon sea salt!"

"…Great, it tastes delicious," Kaiba said weakly, giving Mokuba a grin, and his brother clapped his hands to his mouth, pointing at is face with a shaking finger.

"Wh-What's on your teeth? Are those _costume fangs_?" Mokuba whispered, backing away nervously and glancing at the door where the lab technician came rushing through the door with a black wheelchair.

Rising steadily to his feet, Kaiba turned to the sink shook the box of salt into the glass and filled it with water to the brim, feeling all eyes on his back as drank it in deep gulps without spitting it out.

"A-Are you…serious right now?" Mokuba asked weakly, his knees trembling with disbelief. "That's disgusting, Seto."

Feeling much better after several more long drafts of the smooth, silky water, Kaiba straightened up and toasted his empty glass to the lab technician was gaping at him shamelessly.

"The key to longevity is frequent vomiting and only drinking saltwater," he said seriously, making direct eye contact with the technician and hearing Mokuba groan in frustration beside him.

" _Why_ are you _so uncool?_ " Mokuba growled through gritted teeth, his ears red with embarrassment. "Go home. You're sick!"

"Going," Kaiba said airily, setting the glass down with a clink on the counter and picking up the box of salt. "I'm keeping this."

Mokuba shook his head with exasperation and pressed his hands into his face, feeling a headache coming on. He heard Seto's shoes click smartly over the floors and a door slammed.

When he finally raised his head, the lab tech was staring at him with wide eyes, shrugging in confusion.

"Remember, you signed a non-disclosure," Mokuba muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and quickly exiting the room, also slamming the door behind himself.

Seto…needed help. Professional help.  
Clearly, therapy didn't do anything for him, and all he did was scare his therapist repeatedly by reading her mind while staying stubbornly silent.

Sighing to himself, Mokuba decided he would talk about it with Isono later tonight.

* * *

Kaiba slammed on the brakes and parked haphazardly on his driveway, ignoring Isono calling out to him as he raced down the sandy cliffside towards the water, his chest burning and aching for air.

He wasn't suffocating, but each breath was getting harder to take, and the sooner he was in the water, the better.

"Master Kaiba! Let me have a word with you!" Isono shouted, running after him across the beach, and Kaiba viciously ignored him, kicking off his shoes as he went. He quickly stripped off his shirt, belt, and pants, leaving them behind in the sand.

He climbed nimbly atop the rock and dove with practiced precision down into the frothy waters below, secretly thanking Tristan and Joey for teaching him this trick.

Taking a deep inhale, Kaiba relaxed gratefully into the warm water, still hearing Isono furiously calling for him on shore.

 _Master Kaiba! We need to talk about that lady you brought into the house. Why are all of her belongings in a spare bedroom?! Who is she, really?!_

 _She's my wife!_ Kaiba shouted back angrily, powering through the waves with long strokes, intent on getting to meditation spot in deeper water. _Go make her some tea or something! Leave me alone!_

 _Come back here, Master Kaiba! I'm not finished…_

Isono's voice was growing fainter and fainter.  
Pleased, Kaiba spotted his comfortable little cove covered with thick strands of kelp and he pressed his back against the rocky wall, panting heavily as he took deep, gasping breaths.

God…when would this day end?  
Also, where the hell was Seth? He had some questions for the merman.  
Maybe he would show up after a light nap….

Kaiba was jolted out of his thoughts by another searing wave of pain in his stomach, and he dug his claws into the rocks behind him, curling forward and shuddering.

H-Holy fucking shit. What was happening?!

Between the sharp clenching jolts of pain, he saw a tiny purple octopus zooming his way through the water, sounding ecstatic.

"I am the Royal Messenger! I come bearing a message from King Atem!" The octopus squeaked, and Kaiba cursed. Yeah, great timing! He was dying.

"Spit it out," Kaiba gasped, curling his claws tighter into the rock as the pain subsided briefly. "I'm fucking dying over here."

"Ahem!" The octopus did a playful twirl in the water before it began reciting, _"Kaiba, why are you not present to receive my messages? Why bother sending them in the first place if you're just going to ignore me? I thought you'd like to know that I've been sent from kingdom to kingdom in search of a Mate at the insistence of Mana and my court. I've met your brother, Seth. Can you confirm that he is your blood? Don't you dare lie to me. That's all. Reply soon, you idiot."_

Another clenching wave overtook him, and it sent Kaiba reeling.

The octopus's voice was lost somewhere in the background as his ears began ringing terribly with a high, tinny sound.

Thudding his head back against the rock, Kaiba blinked and gazed up at the sky through the water, now thinking he might need to surface. What if he died like this, and Mokuba found his body floating in shallow tide pool somewhere?!

"Merman?! Merman! Are you ill? Shall I go fetch a Medic?" The octopus squeaked, darting to and from his face and Kaiba hissed at it

 _"Yes!"_ Kaiba replied with effort, and he grit his teeth, letting out a silent cry, reaching down to curl his knees to his chest as something stabbed through his abdomen with force.

It was as if someone had reached an arm deep into his stomach and was twisting violently, this way and that, and the pain had become an explosive white-hot fire, spreading from the tips of his toes to the ends of his fingertips, localizing at the base of his spine, almost ripping him in two.

Barely able to keep his eyes open through the haze of pain, Kaiba saw the water clouding dark green around him, and the horrible metallic stench of blood filled his nostrils.

Shit. Shit…he was in trouble.

"EEK! YOU'RE BLEEDING!" The octopus squealed, darting away through the water, leaving a trail of white bubbles behind it as it cried, "Stay there! I'm getting help…!"

Stay here?  
Hell no!  
If he stayed here, he was going to bleed out in the water and die for real.

Disgusted by the smell of his own blood in the water, Kaiba pushed weakly away from the wall of the cove and swam for shore, his body trembling so much, he could barely fight a low wave that pushed him farther back from the beach.

He heard Isono still shouting at him from the tall rock onshore, and he winced as another spasm of pain rippled through his lower body. Maybe he was imagining things, but his asshole was throbbing horribly.

 _…And she orders me around as if she lives here! What's her surname? She refuses to tell me, saying it's 'Kaiba', which is ridiculous because—_

 _Fucking shut up and help me!_ Kaiba hissed, interrupting Isono's angry tirade. _I'm…bleeding!_

Bobbing against another wave, Kaiba blinked rapidly, trying to keep his eyes open, but his vision was fading into green as he continued to lose blood in the water, but it was no longer green. It had become inky black.

 _I'm bleeding…internally!_ Kaiba realized, managing to keep his eyes open right until he saw Isono leap into the water from the rock, and his world faded to black.

"Master Kaiba! ...Seto!" Isono powered through the water and after a few firm kicks through the water, he reached Kaiba and managed to grip onto him tightly, dragging him through the waves with effort, fighting each heavy current that pushed them father and father away from land, but he persisted, his arms and legs aching as he carried Kaiba's weight beside him.

It was too much.  
Kaiba was growing heavier, and the waves were rough, washing him further away from shore as they began to sink.  
Saltwater gushed up his nose and stung terribly in his eyes.  
Coughing, Isono struggled to keep his head above water, feeling Kaiba slip dangerously in his grasp as the water continued to darken with blood around them.

Th-This was really bad!

Reaching his arm above his head, he tried to keep them afloat, still feeling Kaiba sinking deeper and deeper below him as his grip weakened. He was…no longer strong enough to hold Kaiba and stay above water at the same time.

Their saving grace came swiftly in the form of Kisara, dashing down the boardwalk with her white hair flowing behind her in the wind as she ran.

Climbing steadily onto the tall rock, she took aim and leapt into the water without hesitation, managing to reach Isono quickly after a few powerful strokes, and together, they dragged Kaiba's limp body to shore, their clothes soaked and stained with ocean water and blood.

Isono gasped for air, rolling onto the sand as he watched the woman lift Kaiba by the shoulders to drag him away from an oncoming wave with surprising strength, causing his long legs to leave two heavy lines behind them.

"Oh gosh! He's hurt!" Kisara cried, fanning the air above Seto's nose, trying not to stare at the blood that was spreading slowly across the sand underneath his lower body.

"Seto…wake up! Seto?!" Kisara bent down and pressed her mouth tightly over Kaiba's cold lips, feeling a light breath graze her cheek, and she jerked back frantically, "He's breathing!"

Isono finally caught his breath and pulled his wet phone out from his pocket, cursing under his breath when it refused to turn on.

"Stay here and I'll get help!" She cried, dashing back to the house with her white hair streaming behind her.

Pulling himself up onto his knees, Isono kept two fingers down on Kaiba's pulse, noting that it was unnaturally weak, and his mind churned with turmoil.  
The woman was…caring and protective.  
Where did Kaiba find her?  
She was practically a stranger, but behaved with too much familiarity.  
But they were both alive because of her strength.

He could hear sirens in the distance, and he shut his eyes, praying that Master Kaiba would come to his senses quickly. The master was ill, in more ways than one, and it wasn't surprising that all of his strange behavior resulted in a massive physical illness.

Shivering from the cold, Isono kept his fingers down on Kaiba's pulse, praying and praying.

Blood was streaking down across the sand underneath Kaiba's bare legs and Isono turned his head away fearfully, trying not to look at it.

Kaiba wasn't a young man anymore.  
He was behaving recklessly for someone his age. This really needed to stop.

A long talk with Mokuba was in order after this when Kaiba woke up—if he woke up.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Mokuba shows his big bro some cool stuff they found underwater while they were clearing out Seth's colony. Kaiba is cynical as usual, full of denial and PAIN, so much pain he bled and passed out in the water.  
Kisara comes and saves the day…!

edited by: CHOCOLATE YETI


	40. Chapter 40

"Emergency! Emergency!" The octopus squeaked, dashing through the Kingdom of Muran, passing by every dwelling and screaming as it went.

"Emergency! A merman is bleeding on shore!"

He was stopped at the palace gates with a firm hand.

"Halt!" The guard said, but the octopus zipped right past the man's ear and darted through the pillars, screaming at the top of its lungs.

"EMERGENCY!" It cried, zooming past Mana and Mahad who were having a pleasant meal together in the courtyard.

 _"MEDIC! Medic, please! It's an emergency!"_

"Hey, isn't that one of your messengers?" Mana pointed questioningly, and Mahad dropped his food furiously, racing after the tiny octopus, and wondering what enemy colony had hijacked one of his well-trained messengers.

The octopus burst into the medic's chambers and darted straight into the nurse's chest where he clung on tightly to the merman's neck, still shrieking, "EMERGENCY! A RUDE MAN IS DYING! WE MUST HELP HIM!"

Mahad arrived at the doorway, trying to catch his breath as he watched the strange scene unfold before him.

The medic was struggling, trying to yank the octopus off the nurse's face, and it's purple tentacles were flying everywhere while it kept screaming, "THE RUDE MERMAN IS BLEEDING EVERYWHERE!"

"Who is bleeding?" Mahad demanded, swimming forward and grabbing the octopus by its head, prying it off the nurse once and for all and giving it a vicious shake. "Who have you been reporting to?"

The nurse doubled over coughing while the medic patted his back sympathetically, throwing the octopus a cold glare.

Mana dashed into the medic's chambers and leaned against the door breathlessly, her eyes darting between the nurse, the medic, and Mahad, who looked incensed at the tiny octopus.

"I report t-to…K-King Atem…" The octopus squeaked, and it puffed up proudly, its beady eyes gleaming in the low lights. "I am a Royal Messenger—"

"Yes, and you report to _me_!" Mahad hissed, releasing the octopus and pointing at it threateningly with his staff. "Who is the recipient?"

"The merman with legs who is bleeding on shore!" The octopus shrieked, spitting out a tiny cloud of ink in distress. "The pure merman with eyes of blue!"

There was a moment of stunned silence before Mana pressed a hand to her chest, realizing who it was.

"Seto…Kaiba?!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" The octopus cried, zooming towards her and latching onto her shoulder with its cold tentacles, and Mana cried out in surprise, squirming frantically as she tried to get it off.

"Well, take us to him!" The medic said, looking deeply disturbed, and Mahad folded his arms across his chest with a tight nod, echoing, "Yes. Take us there."

"FOLLOW ME!" It squealed, and hastily detangled from Mana's shoulder as it zipped out the door, bobbing up and down anxiously in the water. "COME ON, HE'S DYING!"

Mahad, the Medic, and Mana dashed after the octopus without hesitation, and the nurse coughed weakly, waving at them from behind.

"I'll stay here and keep the wing open!"

The Medic turned to call over her shoulder, already half-way down the hall, " _Yes, do!_ " and she flipped her tail rapidly, struggling to keep up with the octopus's grueling pace.

Mahad and Mana's violet tails were shining in the distance several yards in front of her, and she cried out to them in her mind, _"Wait…please! I can't swim that fast!"_

"You lead the Medic to Kaiba's shore while I go ahead," Mahad said, giving Mana's hand a warm squeeze. "I have a feeling that's where it's headed. Where else would a merman with legs be bleeding and have access to my Messengers?"

"Will do!" Mana replied anxiously, hanging back as she watched Mahad power forward through the water without her, leaving nothing but a trail of bubbles behind his magnificent tail.

She turned and waved frantically at the Medic, who was slowly gaining on her, and she bobbed gently up and down in the water, feeling as if her entire body was on fire.

If Seto Kaiba was hurt so badly to a point where he was bleeding, Atem would be devastated by the news.

The Medic quickly caught up and grabbed her hand, panting, her cheeks pink with exertion. "I'm sorry, it's…been a while since I've…swam to shore…."

"No worries, I know the way," Mana said firmly, hanging onto her hand tightly and zipping forward through the water, feeling her jewelry stick uncomfortably to her skin as they continued.

 _That Kaiba better be alive!_ Mana thought furiously, feeling the Medic give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

What would Atem do if Kaiba had died suddenly?  
Nothing good.  
The merking had already been emotionally unstable for several decades.

* * *

Kaiba cracked his eyes open, seeing strips of fluorescent lights above him, and he listened to the soft, steady beeping of the heart monitor beside his head.

Oh great. Not dead.  
But everything hurt.  
He closed his eyes again, feeling as if his eyelids weighed a thousand tons.  
His bones ached, his legs were numb, and he felt incredibly weak all over.

"Oh…Seto!"

Kaiba heard Kisara's voice coming from somewhere at the foot of his bed, and he felt a cold hand press into his, squeezing him tightly. "He's awake! I saw his eyes open!"

Isono roused himself from the chair and gave Mokuba a light shake beside him.

"Your brother is awake," Isono whispered, relief flooding over him like a calming wave.

Mokuba groaned and rubbed his face with his hands, watching sleepily through cracked fingers as the old, white-haired woman bent over Seto's bed and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Cringing internally, he wondered if this was Seto's idea of payback.

Instead of choosing a hot supermodel or actress, he'd gone the other way and secretly married an old lady. Then, he purposely put himself into a mini coma, just to worry everyone sleepless.

It was only until after Seto had been lying unconscious in the hospital bed that Mokuba had discovered Seto had put her down as his secondary emergency contact, and he had also added her name to his current will.

She was practically a stranger, and he couldn't ask how long this had been going on because…Seto had been unconscious.

According to Isono, she had been living at the property for almost six months and Seto had stopped attending the matchmaking dinners, so their marriage must've happened sometime during that 6-month window. He had been too busy with baby Noah to keep track of Seto's antics.

"What's her name again?" Mokuba hissed at Isono, and to his utmost horror, she heard him and threw him a cold look over her shoulder.

"My name is Kisara," she said firmly, with her hand laced through Kaiba's much paler one. "…I hope we can get along, Mokuba. Your brother is a good husband to me."

"You can't call someone your husband after 6 months of dating," Mokuba said, unable to help himself, and Kaiba kept his eyes firmly closed, listening to all of this with a solid pain in his chest.

He had lost something while he bled out in the water, and he couldn't figure out what.

It was as if a chunk of his soul had been taken, and he had an intense longing to dive back into the water to check the spot where he'd been bleeding.

Opening his eyes slowly again, Kisara's beautiful face hovered above him, and he felt himself smile, growing warm all over.

"It's me…" She whispered, pressing the backs of her knuckles gently across his cheek, and Kaiba felt his skin burn pleasantly. "Thank goodness you're awake. You're badly hurt…"

Kaiba opened his mouth to speak but realized his throat was terribly dry, so he swallowed thinly and asked her in his mind, not seeing her flinch for a second.

 _What happened?_

"You were bleeding," she replied, staring intently into his face with her fiery blue eyes. "Your manservant jumped in to save you, but the waves at high tide are so strong, he couldn't fight them, so I jumped in after him and we both pulled you out of the water. You've lost a lot of blood."

 _I see_ , Kaiba said simply, giving her hand a grateful squeeze. _Thank you for jumping in. I don't remember any of it._

"I know…" She said tearfully, her bottom lip quivering prettily before she threw herself forward and embraced him tightly. "Don't scare me like that! You're fine now! Get well soon, my dear Seto."

Kaiba raised a shaky hand to pat her on the back as she clung onto him.  
Her scent was wonderfully calming, like a pure ocean breeze mixed in with fresh summer flowers from a meadow.

Mokuba stood silently at the end of the bed, watching this entire exchange with mild disbelief.

Seto had gazed up at her with such a loving expression, it made his stomach twist, and she in return had gently caressed Seto's face with an equally tender smile. They were also clearly having a private conversation only through eye-contact because after a moment of long silence, all she said was 'I know', and they hugged.

What the hell was happening?!  
Who was this lady and where did she come from?!

Slowly approaching Seto's bedside, Mokuba held his hand out in a friendly gesture, addressing Kisara carefully.

"I'm sorry. Let's start over and get to know each other," he said softly, feeling himself shake. "Thank you for saving Seto."

She pulled away from Kaiba and took Mokuba's hand warmly with both of hers, smiling sweetly.

" _He_ saved _me_ , so it's only fair that I'm here for him," she said cryptically, and Isono stared at her, wondering what on earth she was talking about.

Kaiba had saved her? From what?

"I'll get us all a coffee while we wait for the doctor," she said quietly, bowing out of the room and closing the door with a soft click behind her.

Mokuba folded his arms across his chest and resisted the urge to glare at Seto.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Mokuba demanded, unable to find an appropriate tone that matched how torn he felt. "Who is she?! I don't think she's the type of person who would qualify to be your match! What the hell was I paying the matchmaker for?"

Kaiba let out a slow breath, staring blankly up at the ceiling, his chest aching again with a horrible sense of longing. It had disappeared briefly when she was at his side, but now that she'd left, it was back with full force.

"Seto! Don't ignore me!" Mokuba raged, advancing to the edge of the bed, feeling Isono stick closely to his side. "What's going on in that head of yours?!"

"She's…" Kaiba struggled to speak through the terrible tightness in his throat. "She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen…"

"W-What?!" Mokuba ran a hand through his hair, glancing at the door behind him in distress, making sure she wasn't coming back yet. "Seto, she's like…55. She looks like she could be our _grandma_. Are you being serious?!"

Kaiba tilted his head to look directly into Mokuba's eyes for the first time, nodding weakly.

"Yes," he said, his voice returning slowly the more he used it. "I passed her by every day, and I couldn't stop thinking about her hair…. It's so white…and her eyes are so blue—"

"The joke is over! I'm sorry, okay?!" Mokuba cried, sounding close to tears. "You didn't have to go and legally put her on all your stuff just to tell me you hate the matchmaking!"

Kaiba sat up slowly, his anger building in a tight bubble inside him as he grew increasingly more frustrated.

"She looks like an angel and behaves like one," Kaiba snapped, thankful that his energy was returning. "You can't see it, but I can. You couldn't be any more obvious about your intentions, trying to set me up with all those people, so she fell from the sky and saved my ass…from the both of you."

He gave Isono a glare and saw his manservant look away guiltily.

Isono rested a hand gently on Mokuba's shoulder, giving Kaiba a tense smile.

"You really love her, Master Kaiba, I can see it in your eyes when you look at her," he said kindly, trying his best to keep his thoughts to himself, knowing that Kaiba could hear them.

"Yeah I fucking do," Kaiba said coldly, gripping the sheets tightly when he saw the door swing open to reveal a familiar figure clad in a white coat standing in the doorway.

He had tanned skin, long white-blond hair, and angular violet eyes.

It was Marik.  
Playing dress-up as a doctor… _his_ doctor.  
The realization hit Kaiba particularly hard, and he pointed angrily at the merman.

"Get the fuck out, I want nothing to do with you."

"Mr. Kaiba, always a pleasure," Marik said plainly, forcing a smile on his face while holding the electronic pad close to his chest, his fingertips white with fury as he gripped it too tightly.

He strode into the room, moving to close the door just as Kisara appeared behind him, carrying a tray full of coffees.

Marik's eyes widened, staring at the pretty girl with long white hair and clear blue eyes wearing a plain, beige dress, and he threw Kaiba a curious glance. "Is she with you?"

"Yes, I'm his wife," Kisara said firmly, brushing past the doctor and moved to stand beside Kaiba's bed with silent resilience. "Coffee, anyone?"

Mokuba snatched the paper cups off the tray with a rough nod and handed one to Isono.

Kisara set the tray down at Kaiba's bedside and smiled sweetly at the doctor.

Marik dared himself to stare for a second longer before Kaiba growled at him, "Put your eyes back in your head."

Mokuba and Isono frowned, wondering why the atmosphere had changed.

Composing himself, Marik patted the electronic pad to his chest and spoke, "I have some x-rays to show you, Mr. Kaiba. Would you like to be alone when I divulge the _private_ news or…?"

 _Just tell me what it is_! Kaiba growled, and Marik shook his head tightly, giving him a nervous slide-glance at Mokuba and Isono, who were staring mutely at him with dark faces.

"You two, leave," Kaiba said carelessly, addressing his brother and his manservant while pointing at the door.

Kisara's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything as Mokuba and Isono raged at him in unison.

"You can't excuse us! I'm your _brother_ for fuck's sake! I deserve to know too!"

"Master Kaiba! I insist you let me stay! Why are you dismissing me?"

Marik stepped aside and sat down on a chair in the corner of the room, eager to be out of the way as Mokuba stormed out the door, and Isono followed, throwing Kaiba a deeply concerned look before slamming it behind himself.

A ringing silence followed, filled only by the steady beeping of the heart monitor.

"Well, now that they're gone, I can speak frankly," Marik said, rising to his feet and eyeing Kisara with suspicion. "A man like you should marry within your age range. Where did you kidnap this young girl from?"

"Excuse me?!" Kisara cried, reaching down to hold Kaiba's hand again. "Kidnap?! I am in fact older than him, and I married him willingly!"

Kaiba gave Marik a cold smirk, feeling a rush of vicious triumph. "Wouldn't you like to know? Also, who the hell assigned you to be my doctor? Fuck off."

"Seto!" Kisara whispered, giving his hand a squeeze. "I'm sure he's a good doctor…despite what he said about me."

"Your brother called on me because I'm a specialist," Marik shot back, flipping the pad around to reveal Kaiba's x-rays. "…Look. What did I say? You had _parasites_ from a _certain someone,_ and you bled internally. Congratulations, Seto Kaiba. You got the proof you so desperately wanted."

"P-Parasites?" Kisara gasped, leaning forward to inspect the x-ray. "They're all gone now, right? Who is the _someone_?"

Kaiba said nothing, his ears ringing unpleasantly as he stared at the obvious dark hole that he'd developed in his bowels, and he couldn't help but think it was oddly…localized.

The terrifying thing was that the hole was as large as two of his fists put together.

"Why is it only in one place?" Kaiba asked evenly, growing numb as he had an inkling of what it might be. "It looks like…a tumor."

"It does! And it's large!" Kisara breathed, sounding more and more distressed. "Is it still inside of him?!"

"No. Thankfully, you bled it out," Marik said, raising his eyebrows and giving Kaiba a knowing look. "Am I making myself clear?"

Kaiba stared angrily into Marik's face, growling, "No. Just spell it out for me, dammit."

Marik's eyes darted between the pad and Kisara's face, stammering, "C-Can I say it in front of her?"

"YES!" Kisara almost shouted, letting go of Kaiba's hand and folding her arms across her chest haughtily. "I know left from right, so you don't have to tiptoe around words on my account."

Marik hesitated for several heartbeats before he spoke in a rush.

"It looks egg-shaped, doesn't it?"

Kaiba blinked, feeling himself floating far…far…away.  
No.  
Hell…fucking no.  
Impossible.  
No.  
It couldn't be.  
Not.  
Possible.  
Not fucking possible.  
Biologically. Impossible.

Ridiculous.

"Yes, it does look vaguely egg-shaped, and…?" Thankfully, Kisara spoke for him, looking unamused. "Keep talking."

Marik held his hands up, making an odd gesture, miming rocking a baby,

Kisara shook her head, looking fed up. "You're right, Seto. He _is_ a shitty doctor."

"You laid an egg!" Marik cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "And you survived the violent bowel rupture coupled with heavy internal bleeding. Congratulations. We had you in surgery for hours, repairing your insides. You may thank Dr. Kuramoto after he wakes up from his nap."

Kisara let out a mirthless laugh and bent over Kaiba in the bed, brushing the bangs out of his eyes lovingly, "Seto…this guy is hilarious. Right, Seto?"

Kaiba was no longer present.  
He was lost in a sea of his own turbulent emotions.  
That was not possible because…there was nothing but blood.

Right?

But if it was possible….

"Where is it?" He asked through numb lips, and to his rising fury, Marik only shrugged and tucked the pad underneath his arm, already moving to the exit.

"I don't know. Wherever you laid it," Marik said plainly, looking uninterested. "But given how you were unaware of its existence this entire time—the survival of that egg is low. It could've cracked at any point inside you…or on its way out."

Kaiba shook his head frantically, a pang searing through his chest as he yelled at Marik's retreating back, "TELL ME WHO HAS IT! I KNOW YOU KNOW!"

"Seto…calm down…please!" Kisara cried, looking panic-stricken as well. "He's joking! Are you friends? Don't let him get to you!"

"No….no!" Kaiba cried wildly, and all the realizations came crashing down onto him, one horrible wave after another.

The nausea.  
The vomiting.  
The picky eating.  
The _voracious_ picky eating.  
The mysterious cravings for raw fish in the middle of the night….  
And the long meditative nights underwater where he swore he felt something move inside him…and he had chalked it up to his own horniness when imagining it was Atem….

And the pain.  
The fucking pain!  
The constant, horrible, odd, dull ache that sat at the base of his spine and sometimes moved so high up inside him, it made him want to vomit again….

The egg inside of him would also explain why Seth's medicines didn't work.

He hadn't been _shore_ sick.

He had been _morning_ sick.

For… _years_.

Holy fuck. How many years? Too many damn years to count.

"Seto?" Kisara's face appeared before his face, and she cupped his cheeks with her warm hands, gazing deeply into his eyes. "You can tell me…what's wrong?"

Slowly reaching up to grip her slender wrists, Kaiba hung onto her, feeling himself slowly break down, tears leaking from his eyes as the tugging in his chest became more and more violent.  
He understood this feeling now.  
It was longing and pain.  
He ached to hold the egg to his chest…as a solid affirmation, that even if it was cracked or dead, it was his, and he badly needed to see it with his own eyes.

"He's not lying…" Seto breathed, looking up into Kisara's face and blinking back tears to no avail. "You have to believe me—"

"Oh, my goodness," Kisara swept her thumb underneath Kaiba's cheek and pulled away, holding a small diamond between her fingers with awe. "These are coming out of your eyes! Does it hurt?"

Kaiba said nothing and nodded bleakly.  
He needed to get back to the beach and find that damn egg.

* * *

Mahad floated to a stop by a wall of rock close to Kaiba's shore, watching the octopus dart back and forth, expanding and contracting nervously.

"Don't release me from service, Warrior Mahad," the octopus cried. "I couldn't refuse his request! He's so Pure! He makes me feel good when he talks!"

"We'll discuss your employment later," Mahad replied furiously, swimming along the rocky shore and scanning the water with a keen eye. "There's no one here."

"He was here!" The octopus squeaked, spewing forth another thin cloud of ink in distress. "He was here, and he was bleeding…to death!"

Mahad frowned and swam away from the rock, commanding the octopus to stay put.

"I'm going to check the entire length of this beach. You stay here, understand?"

"ROGER!" It said, giving a firm salute with one of its many tentacles, and it latched onto the rock firmly, settling down behind the curtains of kelp.

Mana and the medic finally caught up, and they popped their heads above water, taking a deep gasping breath of fresh air.

"This is a beautiful shore…" The medic said slowly, eyeing the empty beach with longing. "I assume the merman lives there on the hill?"

She pointed to the large house perched on the cliffside and Mana nodded distractedly.

"Let's go!" She cried, diving down towards the rocky edge where she saw a glint of Mahad's tail.

They bobbed gently against the waves as they swam towards shore, and the medic grabbed Mana's hand, stopping her suddenly in the water.

"Do you smell that?" She asked, sniffing tentatively. Mana shook her head and waved a hand across her nose in the water as the metallic scent of stale blood and membrane assaulted her senses.

"Oh, that smells horr—" Mana's voice caught in her throat when a glint of gold peeked out at her from behind a curtain of kelp waving gently against the waves beside a rocky wall.

Something was lodged behind the stalks of kelp and the stench got stronger the closer they got.

It looked like…an egg!

Diving forward desperately, Mana reached through the slimy kelp and her fingertips grazed over something warm and smooth.

"I've got it!" Mana cried, digging the egg out from between the rocks with trembling hands.

The medic rushed to her side, watching her pull out a slimy black egg and hug it to her chest protectively, getting thin strands of membrane all down her breasts.

Stunned, the medic stared at the egg in Mana's arms, taking in the abnormal size and the threads of tiny golden veins running through its nearly transparent surface.  
Who…laid this…monstrosity of an egg?!

If it was a merman like the octopus had claimed, was it possible that he was still alive?!

Eggs were usually incubated at 9 years!

This egg looked like it had been lovingly carried to full term…. all nineteen years and then some, by a pureblood too, based on the inky blackness of the shell.

"It's a girl!" Mana continued, rocking the egg gently in her arms, looking close to tears. "It's Atem's! I can feel it!"

"We can't be sure until it hatches," the medic said slowly, reaching out to touch the egg with a trembling hand. "Give her to me. Let me check her vitals."

Mana shook her head tightly, unwilling to let the egg go. "I don't want to! Let's take her home immediately!"

"Mana, come here!" The medic cried angrily, grabbing Mana's arm and dragging her close to press a palm firmly against the egg's warm surface, and a vision flashed across her mind's eye.

The face of a beautiful human man with clear blue eyes, pale skin, and a cold smile flitted through her head, followed by a jolt of pain running up her arm, and she jerked back hastily.

"What is it? She's in pain?!" Mana asked shrilly, her arms shaking violently as she hugged the egg tighter. "She's hurting. Why is she hurting?!"

"Oh…Suijin," the medic breathed, giving Mana a panic-stricken look. "He's human! Or…he was in human form! Quick! Fetch Warrior Mahad! This egg is in critical condition—"

 _I'm here!_

She spun around and saw Mahad zipping towards them in the water, his arms tight at his sides with his hair flying behind him.

He floated to a stop, bobbing up and down before them, wondering why both women looked so distressed.

Then, he noticed the black egg in Mana's arms and nearly dropped his staff.

"What is _that_?! Where did you get that?!" Mahad asked shakily, deeply disturbed by the color of the shell. "Why is it black? It's damaged. Throw it away!"

"No, no!" The medic cried breathlessly, holding her hands up for silence. "A pure black egg is one in a millennium—one in a several millennia! A miracle! Our very own Priestess Isis was born from a black egg. We must incubate this egg inside a Chrysalis!"

"What?" Mahad snapped, curling his fingers around his staff tightly as his heart skipped a beat. "Why? Let's incubate it normally."

He wasn't heard.  
The two women were already swimming down into deeper waters, conversing rapidly with each other about how they would break the news to everyone in the kingdom.

Following them rapidly, Mahad repeated his question. "Why must we incubate this black egg in a Chrysalis?"

"Because this egg was borne from a human!" The medic shot back, looking determined. "Well, a merman in human form. I saw his face when I checked her vitals. Perhaps you know him, Mahad. He looks like a pureblood Scholar or a Warrior."

"Blue eyes?" Mana interjected, feeling the egg pulse warmly in her arms. "Yes! She says yes. Does he have blue eyes and brown hair? Very pale skin and is terribly handsome?"

"Who are you talking to?" Mahad growled, trying very hard not to look at the black egg lodged firmly between Mana's breasts. The sight was truly disturbing and unsexy.

"Her!" Mana replied softly, leaning down to press her ear against the near-transparent surface. "She's already thinking…quite a bit! She's very sociable and well-developed…if she gets air, now. Right, Medic?"

"Yes," the medic answered, throwing Mahad an imploring look. "There's no time to ask permission from the Council. Please, Mahad, bring this egg into a Chrysalis. The egg won't survive much longer without help. Although I'm very surprised she lasted this long. Being overcarried makes her a fighter."

They floated to a stop and Mana held the egg out shakily to Mahad, her eyes shining with tears.

"Save her, Mahad," Mana whispered, her arms growing heavy with the egg's weight. "She belongs to Atem. This is a royal. It's your duty… _our_ duty!"

Mahad stared at the egg in Mana's pretty, manicured hands, feeling disgust curl low in his chest. He shoved his feelings aside and handed the medic his weapon before reaching out to cradle the egg with both hands, shivering as he felt it pulse warmly against his palms.

Dis…gusting….  
This was Seto Kaiba's kin.  
He could feel it.  
But there was a thread of warmth and strength, very similar to…Atem.

"Oh…fuck," Mahad muttered, throwing a nervous glance over his shoulder at the setting sun in the water above them. "…I'll go now."

"Thank you!" Mana whispered, and the medic nodded giving Mahad a firm push towards the surface.

"Hurry!" She urged. "I will ready an incubator by the time you return, and you can take that into the Chrysalis too. Then, when the egg is safely lodged inside the pool, we can tell the Council. That way, they can't yank the egg out based on their silly rules, and she will survive"

Mahad nodded uncertainly, and he pushed through the water steadily at an awkward angle, keeping the egg upright in his arms, hearing Mana calling after him happily.

"You're so brave and strong, Mahad! I love you! You're a true warrior!"

"Yes, King Atem will be proud…!" The medic chimed in, and Mahad's stomach curled tightly.

He somehow doubted that.  
From what he'd witnessed in the past few decades, Atem was emotionally unstable, barely able to care for himself, let alone another hatchling… _if_ it hatched.

The least Kaiba could've done was bear the egg in mer-form to save them the trouble and panic. How irritating of him.

Stiffening his fins, Mahad pushed through the water with purpose, his mind churning with the various insults he could throw at Kaiba for ditching his half-human egg with their colony.

Such heartlessness ought to be punished.  
This poor egg deserved better.  
Perhaps it was good that Kaiba abandoned the egg.  
It meant they could raise it away from Kaiba's foulness.  
Also, Mana had said it was a girl.  
How nice.  
A princess in their colony would help boost their morale and status.

That thought cheered Mahad up considerably, and he picked up his pace, now intent on getting the egg into a Chrysalis as quickly as possible.

* * *

Kaiba waved Isono away irritably, hating how Mokuba had followed them home just to make sure he was okay.

It was humiliating that he'd been confined to a wheelchair for the next month, but he was going to be fine…as long as his damn egg was still where he'd left it.

Kisara rushed across the living room to the large windows overlooking the ocean and craned her neck forward, her shoulders falling with relief when she saw no one on the beach.

 _Is anyone there?_ Kaiba asked frantically, and she shook her head in response.

 _No one,_ she replied firmly in her mind, giving him a determined smile. _We will find your child, Seto. Don't worry._

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Mokuba growled, blocking Kisara from Seto's view as he stood in front of his brother with his arms crossed. "I know you're thinking to her psychically or whatever. Stop it."

 _Do you want me to go down into the water to check? I can brave the cold for you,_ Kisara continued, ignoring Mokuba. _I know the sooner we find it, the better you'll feel._

Kaiba shook his head weakly and palmed his face.

 _No, I can't ask you to do that, but if you can find a way to contact Seth—_

 _Excuse me for interrupting_ , Isono's voice echoed coldly in their minds, causing both Kaiba and Kisara to jump in surprise.

 _I will be taking care of you, Master Kaiba. This nonsense with the ocean stops now. Stop tricking that woman into enabling you._

Mokuba stood awkwardly in the silence.  
Kisara looked offended, and Seto's face darkened while Isono glared sternly at them both.

"What's happening?" Mokuba asked lamely, his voice cracking with emotion. "We're a family. Let's not behave like this. Seto? No walking for a week, got it? And Kisara, don't you dare let him stand up. He'll tear the stitches."

"Got it," Kisara answered mildly, sitting down gracefully by the window, propping her head up on her elbow with her eyes nailed to the horizon. "You can leave us be now, Mokuba."

Mokuba sighed and stepped out the door, giving Isono a grateful smile.

"Thanks old man," he said, and Isono gave Mokuba reassuring a pat on the shoulder. "Go home to your family, young master. I've got it here."

Kaiba rolled his eyes.  
He was being babied, but whatever.  
He would stomach it if Seth would just show his face…!

Where the hell was that irritating merman when he was needed?

* * *

Seth was being escorted into the palace by two armed guards.

Confused, he twisted his head around to see if they were being followed by anyone familiar, and all he saw was an empty hallway of ornate pillars.

"Where is Joey and Tristan?" He demanded, feeling oddly naked without his weapons. "I demand to be escorted by them! Put me down! I am a royal, dammit!"

Atem perked his ears up, hearing Kaiba's favorite curse word…being said in Kaiba's classic cold tone, and his hopes were crushed when he saw Seth being pushed into the throne room by two burly guards.

"Ah, Prince Seth," Mahad said, trying to keep his tone neutral, but his emotion was leaking badly. "Or should it be just Seth? Because you no longer have people to rule over."

Mana hovered protectively by Atem's side and said nothing.  
The medic also looked nervous, and she stuck closely beside Mana, gazing fearfully at all the dark expressions in the room. Why was the atmosphere so cold?

"He does look like him," Shadi sniffed, leaning against a pillar in the far back of the room, intent on keeping his distance. "I saw him several moons ago and couldn't tell the difference. I thought it was Seto Kaiba who had sprouted fins."

Seth stiffened and squared his shoulders back, aiming his question at Atem, who was sitting regally on the golden throne, looking bored.

"Why am I here? You could've summoned me in a more amicable way. I would've shown up regardless."

"You're here to receive news, just like the rest of us," Rishid muttered, floating closer to Isis in an attempt to stay further away from the Kaiba look-alike.

There was a tense silence, and Mana nodded fearfully at Mahad, who spoke in a resounding voice, "Seto Kaiba bore a black egg, containing a royal."

Atem blinked rapidly, seeing the throne room tilt violently before his eyes.  
Wh-What?! Kaiba had borne an egg instead of growing it in a lab like he claimed he would do? Why would he do such a painful thing?!

"The egg was in critical condition, so I placed her into a Chrysalis without first consulting the Council," Mahad continued, his voice wavering slightly. "So we must find a way to present this situation to them in a positive light to ensure her survival."

"WHAT?!" Solomon thundered, floating closer to Mahad, shaking with disbelief. "You did what?! And a black egg? How is this possible?!"

"Don't punish him for doing the right thing!" Mana cried, feeling Atem's hand tighten around hers painfully. "I found the egg lodged in a rocky cliff on Kaiba's Shore covered by kelp. It's a little girl! Our medic can confirm."

"It is a girl, and I saw _his_ face when I touched the membrane," the medic declared, pointing dramatically at Seth. "A spitting image of him, but…human."

Seth could feel himself sinking lower and lower into the water, with nothing to hold him up.  
Oh gods.  
Seto wasn't shore sick.  
He was morning sick.  
If Seto bore an egg in human form…did he survive?  
If Seto bled to death during the egg bearing, that meant he was alone again in the world.

His brother had survived decades as a human child…only to be killed by egg bearing?!

That thought was too much for him to stomach, and Seth grew lightheaded.

"Someone hold him steady, he looks faint," Isis said nervously, noticing Seth's eyes going glassy. "It's a shock for him as well."

Mahad swam forward and offered an arm out to Seth, and it was promptly pushed away.

Seth stole a glance at Atem, his blood pressure rising when he saw the merking's face remain emotionless and blank.

"It's your child," Seth raged. "You don't seem to care."

"It believe it is unlikely," Atem replied emptily, trying not to let Seth's looks affect him. "I won't say anything further until I see this egg for myself."

"It feels like you," Mana whispered, but Atem ignored her, intent on staring down Seth. He knew if he immediately staked a claim on the egg, Kaiba might never have the chance to see their child, and that thought shook him to the core.

"This is ridiculous," Seth snapped, turning hastily and swimming for the exit as his heart thudded loudly in his chest. "If my brother did bear an egg, I need to check if he's still alive. No one here seems to care about him anyway, seeing as how you're all more concerned about the gender and condition of the child."

"Yes, report back," Atem called casually, waving at the streak of brown hair that disappeared behind the kelp curtain.

His chest tightened with uncertainty as the silence in the throne room ripened, and he felt Mana squeeze his hand so tightly, it hurt.

 _But Atem…_ Mana's voice echoed gently in his mind. _She's your child. I felt it. We all felt it. This is something you can't deny._

Atem sat up straighter and looked right past Mahad's shoulder, trying to keep his expression neutral.

 _I won't say anything until Kaiba sends me a message_ , Atem replied stiffly, growing cold all over. _If I say she's mine, Kaiba will never see her again. It's better this way…for now._

He felt Mana nod sadly beside him and watched as the court dispersed, leaving only Mahad and Solomon floating in the middle, whispering gravely to each other.

Yes, it was better this way.  
If the egg truly belonged to Kaiba, he had to proceed with caution.  
Given how his court behaved towards Kaiba, it was possible that they would collectively decide to keep the child away from land, and Atem knew that this would be the worst-case scenario.  
Kaiba would go insane with longing and begin to hate him.

So, for now, and for the sake of Kaiba's sanity, he would keep the egg at an arm's length and pretend like he had nothing to do with it.

* * *

 **Author's note:  
**  
WOMP WOMP  
he laid an egg yo  
I wrote an mpreg.  
Many of you had already predicted this was where it was going, and I couldn't dodge you. you saw right through me and here it is.  
I have sinned.  
pls fogive me.

-Ugli

(this chapter was edited by ChocolateYeti)


	41. Chapter 41

Kisara wheeled the chair slowly down the sandy ramp, and Kaiba grit his teeth tightly, gripping the armrests and bracing himself for every bump they crossed.

This was…so fucking humiliating…

But this was the first time he'd manage to convince Isono to leave him alone for an afternoon, so naturally, the first thing he did was exactly what the doctor told him _not_ to do: Walk.

The wheelchair landed softly in the sand and Kisara let out a satisfied huff. "Okay, this is as far as it'll go…are you sure you can stand?"

"Yes…" Kaiba growled, wincing as he slowly hoisted himself up on his weak legs, his knees trembling with effort. The water would help. He knew that much.

Over the past two weeks, Kisara had been loyally administering scales to him in secret and sneaking him glasses of saltwater when Isono wasn't looking. As much as her efforts helped, it wasn't enough. He was healing too slowly, so Kisara had tried running him a salt-heavy bath, but Isono had barged in when the tub was halfway full and ordered them back into his room. According to Isono, soaking too long in water would affect the healing.  
Kaiba knew that was bullshit because he didn't heal like a human anymore, but convincing Isono was proving to be a difficult task.

Now that his manservant was out of the house, it was finally time to do things his way.

His foot sunk into the sand and Kisara rushed to his side to hold him steady, her beautiful face twisted with worry.

"Seto…don't push yourself." She said anxiously, watching him take a few more stubborn steps towards the edge of the water. "He said he'd be back in an hour...is that enough time for you to search the spot where you left the egg?"

"We'll…see," Kaiba breathed, wincing as a horrible stinging throbbed between his legs and he forced himself to stand still. Fuck this. Fuck all of this.  
He had been imprisoned in the wheelchair for two weeks while the egg was still sitting unattended in the water. What if something ate it?! And where the hell was Seth?!

Almost as if he'd summoned him with his thoughts, he heard Kisara gasp beside him and point at a head bobbing in the distance.

"Is that…?" She let go of his arm and raced towards the rock at the water's edge, waving her arms frantically. "Hey! Help! Come help us!"

Kaiba wobbled dangerously without her support and he braced himself against the sandy wall of the beach, his breathing shallow as a slow pain began running down his legs.  
Shit. Shit! What if he tore something just by taking a few steps?  
How bad was the wound?  
He had no way of knowing, but it felt like he'd been sitting on fire and ants ever since he had returned from the hospital. Earlier in the week, he had tried bending over in front of a mirror to check, but the second he bent forward slightly, his lower back throbbed horribly and he had to stop himself.  
The pain was even affecting his sleep, but he refused to take medication that would affect the liquid scales in his blood.  
Currently, saltwater was the only remedy he was willing to try.

"HEY! You! Yes, you!" Kisara shouted, her voice carrying clearly through the crisp ocean air as she continued to wave. "Seth?! Is that you, Seth?"

In the distance, Seth ducked his head underwater nervously, wondering why a young woman with stark white hair was calling to him. Was it someone Kaiba had sent? It had to be, otherwise, how else did she know his name?

Swimming steadily closer, he gazed up at her through the distorted surface of the water, watching her expression closely. She was beautiful, sporting a bright, youthful face and wearing only a plain beige dress paired with worn sandals as she stood atop the rock, still waving at no one in the distance.

 _I'll show myself,_ Seth thought nervously, slowly popping out of the water beside the rock and sticking his hand up in an awkward greeting.

"I'm here," he said, accidentally frightening her.

"Goodness!" She cried, pressing a hand to her chest and nearly slipping off the rock as she gazed down into his face, her blue eyes bright with interest. "W-Wow…you do look like him!"

"Indeed," Seth answered dryly, beginning to resent the repetitive comments about their likeness. "Where is my brother? Is he alive?"

She hopped gracefully off the rock and raced across the beach, back to where Kaiba was still leaning weakly against the sandy wall, and Seth let out a cry of relief.

"Seto!" Seth dove into an oncoming wave and let it wash him to shore.  
He rolled expertly across the wet sand and ignored the long, incredulous stare from the white-haired beauty.

"He's real…" Kisara whispered to herself, swaying where she stood. "It's a…real merman!"

"Thank fuck," Kaiba breathed, seeing Seth sitting stiffly in the sand, and he forced himself to let go of the wall so he could make his way across the beach.

 _Where the hell were you?!_ He yelled in his mind, and Seth shook his head, looking stricken.

Kisara's grip on his arm was warm, helping him take tiny steps across the sand towards Seth at the water's edge, and after what seemed like an eternity of limping, Kaiba managed to reach wet sand.

"You're alive! You're alive…oh, I was so worried!" Seth held an outstretched hand to help Kaiba sit down slowly, and he raked his gaze over his twin's human legs, relieved that both were still attached.

"You didn't lose a leg," Seth smiled shakily, and he received confused glances from both humans.

"Just be glad I'm alive," Kaiba growled, riding out a shallow wave of pain as his ass landed roughly in the sand as he sat down. "F-Fuck! Where the hell is my kid?"

A million questions were racing through his head, but he couldn't voice them all at once, so much that he felt like exploding.

Seth grimaced sympathetically and made brief eye contact with the white-haired girl, seeing her blush deeply and look away.

"Who is _she_?" Seth countered, folding his arms across his chest when he caught her staring at the tips of his fins again. "Stop telling humans about us. You're going to get us killed."

"Hey!" Kisara snapped, giving Seth a sharp glare. "I'm his wife, and I'm not going to kill anyone."

"Ah…you're _his wife,_ now, does Atem know?" Seth shot back, feeling his heart race strangely as she continued to stare at him without blinking.

"Does he care?" She replied coldly, resting a comforting hand on Seto's back as she heard him let out another hiss of pain. "He should be here instead of you. Where's the egg? Answer the question."

Kisara sat down in the sand beside Seto, placing her smaller hand over his, watching him dig his fingertips into the sand as his expression darkened.

"I don't divulge information about my species to humans," Seth said, catching a venomous glance from Seto, and after a moment, he gave in easily with a sigh. "Don't worry, brother, your egg is safe. She's incubating in a Chrysalis, and everyone in the kingdom knows of her existence, so, I suppose congratulations are in order. Happy Birthing. Congratulations."

Kaiba let his breath out slowly, riding out a low wave of pain, expecting to feel relief, happiness, joy, or sadness, but all he wanted now was to see the egg with his own eyes and hold her to his chest.

"What the hell does any of that mean?" Kaiba demanded, his body growing warm as a wave lapped at his knees. "Incubating? So, she's alive? And who told you it was a girl?!"

"The…Medic," Seth frowned, resting a cold hand on Kaiba's dry shoulder, seeing his wet hand leave a five-fingered imprint on the fabric. "Brother, I think you would've known you were with child. I'm sure you know it's a girl too. I refuse to believe that you blindly carried her all this time without knowing."

Tears piled annoyingly behind Kaiba's eyelids and he glanced down at his wet knees, feeling himself shake.  
Sure, there were some nights where he was unable to sleep due to his discomfort, but there had been no physical changes….

There _were_ physical changes, and they had disappeared ever since he'd been in the wheelchair.

His skin was no longer cracked and dry.  
Hunger no longer gnawed at his stomach at two in the morning.  
The food Isono made didn't make him want to hurl, and he could once again enjoy coffee in the mornings without the smell putting him off.  
The nausea and pain had completely vanished without a trace.  
Also, his focus was back, and his mind was sharp and clear again.  
There wasn't a strange haze of longing for soaks in the water tugging at him every two hours.

His claws had also stopped growing at an abnormal rate, and his hands looked very human, even now.

There were probably other symptoms he'd ignored and had chalked it up to scale consumption.  
But holy fuck.

If he'd actually laid an egg, that meant he had had a kid…with Atem.

That thought was too much for him to bear, and Kaiba sat in stunned silence, watching the waves wash up against the shore. He hadn't seen the egg yet, so how the hell would he know if any of this was real?! And if it was real, was it cruel and inhumane if the merpeople never let him see his own damn kid?

The thought shook him to the core, and Kaiba felt a rush of fear and anger.  
He would go down there and raise hell if that was the case.  
How would he even begin to do that?  
He could barely walk and bathe himself due to his injuries.

"So, where do you live?" Kisara asked casually, flashing Seth a pretty smile. "Nearby?"

"Yes, and I think I should bring a Medic to you, or bring you down to a Medic," Seth said seriously, watching Kaiba's brow furrow deeper and deeper the longer he remained quiet. "Seto? Will you consider seeing one of our Medics?"

"So, you're twins?" Kisara added keenly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and trying to keep the heavy atmosphere casual. "Did you two fight a lot?"

"Yes, we did...and still do," Seth answered impatiently, focusing on Seto and giving his brother's shoulder another squeeze. "Seto, please answer me. You're being awfully quiet."

Kaiba raised his head and looked directly into Seth's clear blue eyes, feeling as if his heart was being torn into two as he struggled to speak.

It was a girl….  
He knew it was a girl!  
He'd even confused Mokuba's baby boy with a girl because he'd been thinking about his own child!

"Seto?" Kisara tilted her head at him and gave him a solid pat on the back. "It's okay. You'll get to see her soon… _right?_ " And her tone turned nasty as she threw Seth a glare. "You'll bring him the egg so he can see it, won't you?"

"I can't! I said she's incubating in a Chrysalis!" Seth cried defensively, holding his hands up in the air. "No one knows the locations of the Pools unless they're—"

"Warrior Mahad," Kaiba cut across Seth, his blood boiling. "Find him and bring me his fucking head. I bet he knows where she is."

"Yes, he does," Seth said encouragingly, hoping Kaiba would be appeased by good news. "He was the one who brought her there safely…without consulting the Council, so your child is safe from persecution."

Kaiba blinked, taking a moment to digest Seth's words as his anger rose like a rapid flame.

"Persecution?" Kaiba spat, nearly cutting his tongue on the tips of his fangs as he bared them angrily. "Who the hell is the 'Council' and why do they get a say in anything? It's my kid for fuck's sake!"

"The Chrysalis is for public use, Seto, and I'm sure you know that they are protected by pacts," Seth explained frantically, noticing Kisara's eyes growing wider. "Mahad entered it without consulting anyone, which means they now know he broke his pact. She's incubating there illegally—"

"I don't give a shit about him!" Kaiba shouted, his throat growing hoarse, and he coughed weakly, trying to catch his breath as his lungs grew tight. "I want…to fucking see her…"

"You can't…not until she hatches," Seth replied desperately, reaching forward to give Kaiba's hands a tight squeeze, and Kaiba yanked his hands away furiously, his eyes brimming with hot tears of frustration.

"Seto…don't cry! It's going to be okay!" Kisara cried, throwing her arms around Kaiba's shoulders and pulling his head close to her chest, feeling his body trembling violently with repressed sobs.

"F-Fuck…" Kaiba palmed the tears off his face and flung the diamonds aside into the sand. Kisara's arms tightened around his shoulders and he saw Seth's hand reach out to stealthily catch a few tears falling down his cheeks.

"Don't waste these," Seth said gloomily, closing his hands around the stray diamonds. "Keep them for her…in the future…"

"When will she hatch?" Kisara demanded, still hugging Seto tightly and feeling the former CEO rocking back and forth desperately her arms, trying to keep his composure.

"I don't know," Seth replied slowly, frowning. "I'll ask the Medic. My knowledge only extends to basic egg care. I only know that eggs are incubated at 5 to 9 years at the very least. I heard you over-carried her by ten years, so perhaps that means she will hatch without a problem."

" _Ten years?_ " Kisara echoed incredulously, glancing down at the limp Seto in her arms. "Seto, were you pregnant for _years?!_ "

Kaiba shook his head numbly and then nodded, unable to think, unable to breathe.  
The only thing he could do was press his forehead into the softness of her chest and listen to the frantic beating of her heart that mirrored his own despair.

At this rate, he was never going to see his kid.  
He was never going to fucking see her.  
He wouldn't be there when she hatched, because she would hatch inside of a Chrysalis.  
Did this mean Atem would be able to see her?!

What did a hatching mer-egg even fucking look like?!  
He was being deprived of a once-in-a lifetime experience.  
He'd carried the egg for _years_ and it was like it didn't even exist.  
He couldn't smell, touch, or see it.  
This was so wildly unfair.  
He was being deprived of air.  
He was being deprived of a life…he'd created.  
His lungs were tight, and his vision was blurry.  
He could die right now, and it wouldn't matter.  
He would never be _allowed_ to see her.  
The underwater Council of Assholes would make sure of it.  
They had already kept Atem away from him, and now they had his kid too.  
This was it.  
His life was over.

"This isn't good," Seth murmured, giving Kaiba's leg an awkward pat. "He's spiraling. Do you hear his thoughts? He needs something to anchor him down because the egg was torn away from him. He needs a Medic…"

"What he _needs_ is to see his _child_ ," Kisara said nastily, flashing Seth another beautiful glare. "Do something! You have fins and a head on your shoulders! Find out where a Chrysalis is!"

"What the hell do you think I've been doing?" Seth hissed, his own temper rising the more Kaiba continued to rant wildly inside his head. "Do you think I enjoy being separated from my own family? I want him back in the water with me!"

Listening to them argue, Kaiba dug his nails into Kisara's arms and struggled to breathe.  
He couldn't breathe.  
His lungs had closed up and was refusing air.

Kisara felt Kaiba tense in her arms and she noticed his trembling had stopped.  
He was making strange hiccupping sounds and his blue eyes were wide with panic.

"He's suffocating! Get him in the water!" She cried, and Seth sprung into action, grabbing Kaiba by the ankles and pulling him across the sand towards an oncoming wave.

"Roll him to me and step back!" Seth yelled, and Kisara didn't need to be told twice. She gave Kaiba the hardest shove with all her might and saw Seth's tanned arms wrap firmly around his human twin's body, and they disappeared together beneath a white, foamy wave.

Panting breathlessly, she climbed nimbly atop the wet rock and sat there, watching the ocean's surface intently for splashes, but there was none.

The brothers had disappeared.

Daring a sigh of relief, Kisara ran a hand through her damp, white hair.  
Incredible. She knew Seto Kaiba was a bit eccentric, and this seemed to explain it all.

 _I must protect him,_ she thought rigidly, crossing her legs and letting the sun warm her chest.

* * *

Kaiba cracked his eyes open and realized he was being carried on Seth's back through the water.

Seth was powering forward so rapidly, his long hair was nothing but a brown blur behind him.

The air was clear and light, and Kaiba was dimly aware of his surroundings.  
They were underwater…somewhere…and his ass hurt like a bitch.  
It was throbbing and probably bleeding, but Kaiba couldn't be sure.

 _Can you breathe?_ Seth's voice rang out sharply in his head, and Kaiba winced.

 _Yes, I can. Shut up,_ Kaiba thought glumly, wishing he was dead. _Let me see my kid._

 _I'll try,_ Seth promised, slowly swimming deeper and deeper, listening intently to Kaiba's heartbeat which was steady in his ear. _Tell me if it becomes uncomfortable. I'm taking you home._

 _What?!_ Kaiba snapped, instantly alert. _You mean your home?_

Our _home,_ Seth growled, seeing the tops of domed dwellings rise into view. _You should be fine if we don't go too deep. The Medic and the Elders have moved back in after you cleared the debris. See? Even the air is cleaner now._

Kaiba blinked rapidly, seeing bright strips of sunlight streaming beautifully down from the surface, illuminating small, curved stone structures beneath them. There was only a small clump of five domes, and nothing else. All the black seaweed he'd seen earlier in Seth's vision had disappeared.

 _What are they made of?_ Kaiba asked, unable to help himself, and Seth's answer was swift. _Repurposed shells and bones. After polishing, they shine with beauty._

 _…Pretty,_ Kaiba thought weakly, and he passed out.

Letting his breath out in a slow hiss, Seth swam in through the front entrance of the Medic's chambers and was instantly greeted by a green octopus.

"Welcome—AH! MEDIC! A HUMAN!" The octopus spurt out a cloud of ink in distress and zipped away, vanishing down the hallway in the back, and Seth paid it no mind.

Spying an empty pod, he gently eased Kaiba into it just as the Medic came rushing to his side, panting and flushed with excitement.

"Oh, Lord…it _is_ him!" The Medic gave Seth a shaky smile before sealing the membrane pod around Kaiba's unconscious body with a swipe of his claws. "You found your brother, Seth! Let's see…"

Seth wrung his hands nervously as he hovered beside the pod, seeing the veins glow strangely as the Medic palmed the sides and closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

"He'll wake up in two hours," the Medic spoke after what seemed like an eternity of silence. "He'll heal ten times faster while sealed in here, but he needs to surface for air in five human hours. It should be enough."

"Enough for what?" Seth growled, placing a hand on the pod and feeling Kaiba's heartbeat thumping strongly underneath his palm.

"For him to heal completely," the Medic said, nodding with a relieved smile. "You Purebloods are fighters. You brought him down just in time. His human body was having trouble healing without help."

Seth sighed heavily and sagged against the pod, feeling a headache coming on. This had been so incredibly nerve-wracking. Seto had been close to dying!

"Shall I seal you in a pod too?" The medic offered helpfully, "You're stressed. You're spending too much time going to and from deeper water and land. Monitor your time carefully, Prince Seth, or you'll wear yourself out at this rate."

Seth resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he let the Medic lead him into the pod beside Seto's and he laid down into the soft sponge within.

"One human hour should do it for you," the Medic said cheerfully, his tanned face split into a handsome grin. "Rest up, my prince."

The sides of the pod raised around his head folded together, sealing him inside, and the outside world was muffled by the milky green membrane.

Closing his eyes, Seth tried his best to enjoy the peace and relief he felt.  
Seto was beside him now, even if it was only for a moment. They were together, and this was all that mattered.

* * *

Kaiba opened his eyes slowly, finding himself encased in a pod with veiny green leaves molded together. Was it…seaweed? It was a tight fit, and he could barely turn over onto his side without the leaves moving inwards to stick to his body.

He raised a hand to poke at it, wondering if it might accidentally tear if he pressed too hard.

"Don't do that!" A male voice said sharply somewhere to his left. "Your majesty, please don't puncture the pod! You'll return to land soon after you're done healing."

 _Your Majesty?_ Kaiba snorted to himself, leaning back and feeling his head sink into something wonderfully soft.

He reached up slowly and his fingers sank into a spongy surface. Deeply curious, he pinched, and it tore away easily.

"Don't contaminate the pod!" The male voice cried, sounding panicked. "Call for Prince Seth! Tell him his brother is awake."

"Yessir!" A squeaky voice replied, and Kaiba recognized this as an octopus's voice.

"What is this…" Kaiba swiped at the pieces of sponge floating before his nose and he heard an exasperated sigh to his left.

"It's part of the pillow, your majesty, please stay still."

"Let me see my kid," Kaiba said instantly, and he was beginning to feel like a broken record.

The male outside made a strange noise, and his voice shook with emotion, "I-I'm afraid we can't do anything about that now. She's safe in the Chrysalis and is set to hatch in a few years—very soon, so you'll see her soon, don't worry. Soon…okay?"

"Saying _'soon'_ repeatedly won't make _'soon'_ happen _sooner_ ," Kaiba shot back, his frustration rising as he wondered how long he'd be shut in the strange pod. First the wheelchair, and now this. Did that egg almost fucking kill him?

"Please stay still," the male voice pleaded again. "I'm the Medic in this region, so—"

"SETO!" Two ghostly hands appeared on walls of the pod above his head, and Kaiba slowly reached his hand out too, recognizing Seth's voice and feeling warm when their fingertips met against the milky membrane.

His handprint matched Seth's exactly, right down to each curve between their fingers.

"Oh, thank Ra," Seth breathed, relieved to see his brother moving inside the pod. "How do you feel?"

"Like I want to kill the person who has my kid," Kaiba growled in response, and he heard the Medic speak up.

"He'll feel the urge to Nurse," the man said, sounding very solemn. "Shall we give him the decoy egg as a substitute?"

"NO!" Kaiba shouted, feeling his blood boil, and he swore the membrane pulsed with a strange yellow light. "I want to my hold my own damn kid!"

 _Don't stress yourself with shouting!_ The Medic shrieked inside his head, and Kaiba winced, withdrawing his hand from the side of the pod and rolling over furiously.

"Bring it to him," Seth said firmly, nodding at the Medic. "He needs to see what it looks and feels like, or it'll drive him mad. Seto? Just touch the egg. You'll feel better after holding it, even if it's not yours."

Kaiba shook his head furiously, biting the tip of his tongue so hard, his eyes began to water.

He knew what this was.  
It was fucking therapy and he didn't want it.  
The kid was alive, so he didn't need to pretend with a fake-ass egg.

"Seto?" Seth called gently, floating to the other side and seeing Kaiba stubbornly turn over to face away from him inside the pod. "Hey! I'm talking to you. I can see you in there, you know?"

Kaiba said nothing, fuming silently.  
Thankfully, he wasn't in any pain, and he attributed it to the wonders of the green pod, but the annoying tug in his chest was still there. It was never going away until he held his own kid in his arms.

"Here it is," the Medic said, and Seth backed away to let him through.

"I don't want it," Kaiba growled, but he was ignored. The edges of the green leaves peeled away, and a handsome man with jet black hair appeared before him, holding out a black, egg-shaped stone which Kaiba instantly recognized.

It had the mysterious, fiery blue core.

"Here you are—"

Kaiba didn't hesitate as he snatched the stone out of the man's hands and felt the weight sink reassuringly into his arms, and relief flooded his entire body, relaxing him instantly.

 _G-Goddammit_ , Kaiba thunked his head back tearfully on the sponge pillow and the pod sealed up around him once more.

Pressing the stone to his chest, he felt the heat from his own body warm it up, and he bit back the furious stinging in his nose that was making his vision blurry.  
He wasn't going to fucking cry about this. There was no damn point.  
His egg was gone. This one was fake.  
But it didn't feel fake. It felt very real and Kaiba realized he couldn't let go of it.  
His arms were cemented around it while his heart thundered rapidly inside his chest.  
A wonderful warmth flooded the entire pod, and his toes tingled as blood came rushing back into his cold limbs.

He didn't realize he'd been so cold….

This egg was a stone, but it was fooling his body into thinking that it was real.

Seth and the Medic nodded gravely to each other as the pod glowed and pulsed steadily.

"…You see? All better, right?" Seth ventured, and all he received was silence.

"There'll be a mourning period," the Medic mumbled, and Kaiba blinked slowly, listening to this with a horrible ringing in his ears. "It would help if he had a human baby to nurse while he went through it, but human babies are difficult to obtain quickly. This will cause a lasting trauma…"

"Don't say it here," Seth hissed, grabbing the Medic by the arm and leading him away. "He can still hear you."

"He needs to know," the Medic grimaced. "We give all egg-bearers this information so they can brace themselves mentally for the changes. Usually, this is told to the partners as well, but…. seeing as how his partner is absent, I'll tell you. We'll help him through it together."

Kaiba hugged the egg tighter to his chest, feeling his sternum ache as the stone lodged uncomfortably against his ribs.  
He loosened his grip.  
Holding it too damn tight would kill it.

 _And how the hell would I know that?_ Kaiba fumed to himself, unable to bring himself to glance down at the egg in his arms.

"Seto?" Seth called, floating beside Kaiba's pod with the Medic at his side. "Come listen to what the Medic has to say."

"Don't want to hear it—"

"I'm going to send you home with an ointment and oral medicine." The Medic talked over him, sounding practiced, but kind. "Do not eat solid foods for two hours after you've consumed the medicine. You might still be in pain after you leave the pod…"

"Great," Kaiba muttered, and Seth's angry voice echoed through his head.

 _Shut up and listen for your own good!_

 _I said I don't want to hear it!_

"Ah…uh, Seth will bring you back down for more rounds of healing if you feel like you need it," the Medic stammered, hearing the brothers argue silently for a moment longer. "Don't be afraid to come back for more time inside the pod. Avoid swimming or walking for long distances. Do not take human medicine with this, as we do not know what ill effects will follow."

There was more silence as Kaiba glared angrily at the milky green membrane wall, feeling his heart beating against the stone egg on his chest.  
Fuck this shit.  
Fuck this fucking shit.

He wanted to see his own egg, not receive aftercare instructions while hugging a fake egg.

"You have three more hours inside the pod before we send you back up," the Medic said, sounding nervous. "And…you have visitors."

Kaiba's heart leapt suddenly with excitement. Was it Atem?

"Ah…Elder Hijiri," Seth said warmly, bowing at the old man floating through the medic's chambers with his grandson and granddaughter, both carrying baskets filled to the brim with shells, jewelry, and flowers.

 _Who?!_ Kaiba thought deliriously, feeling the egg burn terribly against his chest.

He heard a small child's voice ask fearfully, "Grampy, who is in the pod? And why are we here with all our stuff?"

"Quiet, boy." The old man commanded, and he gave Seth a light smile. "Teaching them manners is never easy, right, Prince Seth?"

The corners of Seth's mouth twitched upwards and he forced himself to smile, hoping it didn't look like a grimace.

"We come bearing gifts for the return of our First Prince," the elder said loftily, and the little boy and girl obediently held out the baskets with their heads lowered respectfully. "Our kingdom will thrive again, just as I had predicted. These were no trouble at all."

 _Liar,_ Kaiba thought angrily, rolling over and seeing three blobs hovering near two other blobs in the water. _Don't want it. Throw it away._

The children gasped and the old man's face redden with embarrassment and rage.

"Ah, we're so sorry! He...is not well, mentally or physically," the Medic jumped to Kaiba's defense, smiling sweetly at the children as he kept his arms outstretched, trying to usher them away from Kaiba's pod. "Bring the gifts another time. Thank you for your visit. We are honored."

 _No, don't ever come back…_ Kaiba thought blandly, and he heard Seth laugh awkwardly.

"As you've heard, he's just lost an egg…so he's really not well. He's not usually like this…"

 _Yes I am,_ Kaiba thought dully, turning over onto his back and letting the egg rest heavily onto his stomach. The weight was so reassuring. Every time he inhaled; he swore the egg pulsed happily in his grip. He was imagining it, but the feeling was so nice…it was lulling him to sleep.

"Seto, these are our people," Seth raged, hovering above Kaiba's pod, glaring down at the green leaves folded tightly over his brother's face. "You can't talk to them like that! We're barely a colony as it is. And since you're so attached to Atem, that leaves me with all the hard work! I'm going to have to find a girl who would want to crown me king in this disaster of a colony."

"You do that," Kaiba said noncommittally, keeping his eyes closed and lacing his fingers over the egg on his chest. "Not my problem."

"But this _is_ your problem!" Seth hissed, placing his palms against the sides of the membrane. "It's _our_ problem—"

"Don't tell him! He's not stable enough to hear it," the Medic whispered, but Seth barreled over him, sounding incensed.

"You think you did your part by clearing the shipwreck and birthing a girl?" Seth ranted, seeing Kaiba tense inside the pod. "We can't claim her as our own if she hatches inside a Chrysalis located in another kingdom, you know that, right?!"

Kaiba's eyes shot open, and he blinked rapidly. Lies. Fucking lies. What kind of ridiculous rules did these people live by? The child was his! It fucking came out of him and nearly split him in half!

"She will be raised by the people in the Kingdom of Muran," Seth said heavily, his shoulders sagging with despair. "Even if she shares half of your blood, Atem's kingdom is much stronger, and is better suited to raise her. Everyone will agree. The controversial Hatching inside the Chrysalis will start the conversation about her future upbringing, and it will end with her living in Atem's kingdom."

Why would Atem's kingdom get the privilege of raising her? Kaiba's eyes widened so much, he felt them beginning to water at the corners.  
Just because she was hospitalized in their Chrysalis? What the fuck was this bullshit?

"We're weak, Seto," Seth said, feeling tears well up behind his eyes. "And we are poor. We barely have any dwellings. We have no working schools. Everything was destroyed and never rebuilt. Then everyone left to live elsewhere. We used to share a school with the nearest colony, and now, children no longer live here. We aren't equipped to raise a child, let alone a royal child."

Kaiba breathed in and breathed out.  
No. Nope. He wasn't listening to this.  
If the kid was his, he would just find a Chrysalis and see her anytime he wanted.

"It _is_ your problem. Do you see now?" Seth said weakly, feeling the Medic's warm hand on his shoulder. "I have hope that…perhaps we could somehow rebuild by the time she hatches, but she's hatching soon, and had I known about her sooner, I would've worked harder to impress Mana."

 _I'm having a bad dream_ , Kaiba thought plainly, closing his eyes and letting the warmth of the pod envelop him fully. _I'm going to wake up in my own bed, and see Kisara awake beside me, watching TV._

"He's disassociating," the Medic breathed, giving Seth's arm a gentle pat. "Let him be. In the meantime, I suggest creating a pact with King Atem, or anyone in his court regarding the child. They will be protective of it, especially if she hatches inside one of their Pools. We don't even have an army to fight them if we wanted a fair dispute."

"Don't tell me things I already know," Seth spat, leaning away from the pod and gazing fearfully at the green veins running all around it. "First, we'll focus on healing him, and then I'll figure out how to get our family back together."

He pushed off the sandy ground and swam towards the exit, feeling a heavy weight crushing his heart.

* * *

Atem sat on his bed in his room, glumly looking down at the tips of his fins as his friends argued around him.

"So lemme get this straight, Rich Boy had an egg inside him this whole time?" Joey cried, gripping his hair in distress while Tristan stared blankly off into space.

"Yeah man, didn't you think it was weird when he ate so much but never gained weight? That's a tell-tale sign of pregnancy right there, and we didn't even notice." Tristan said quietly, and Mai shook her head in disbelief.

"I hope she'll come out okay," she said, and Anzu shot her a dirty look before giving Atem a nervous glance.

"Don't say stuff like that Mai. Of course she'll come out okay."

"Seto Kaiba is rich, so his diet must have been rich as well," Mahad added nervously, looking pale.

"The egg wasn't cracked at all," Mana insisted, her ears growing red. "Joey said Seto Kaiba trained like a Warrior with them, and if the egg came out whole, she will be fine."

"Yeah, but is _he_ fine?" Mai asked skeptically, rolling onto her stomach flipping through a glossy magazine while her tail waved aimlessly in the air behind her.

"Mai, I swear to god, if you say one more agitating thing…" Anzu muttered, and Joey jumped to her defense.

"Leave her alone, it's a valid question," he said hastily, giving Atem an uncertain look. "We don't know much about egg-bearing anyway."

"Speak only for yourself," Mahad said stiffly, folding his arms and pinning his staff against his chest. "Egg-bearing is a subject I've studied and followed closely with Mana."

"Yes, it was a black egg! How exciting, right Atem?" Mana smiled weakly, giving the king's hands a squeeze and seeing him withdraw slowly.

"Whazzat mean if it's black?" Tristan asked carelessly, floating over their heads in a slow circle. "Contaminated, right?"

"No," Anzu raged, her ears also turning red. "It means the Bearer was in human form. Also, no egg is completely black. It could've been dark red, or dark blue…you wouldn't know until you saw it in proper light."

"Correct," Mahad said earnestly, and everyone looked at Atem, waiting for him to react, but the king's spiky head was lowered, and he didn't seem to be mentally present.

"S-So if anything, the black egg proves Seto Kaiba's species," Mana sounded proud of herself. "He's a royal, and Pure, which means our princess will be the purest Royal on this side of the ocean!"

There was a long, heavy silence, and Atem gripped the edge of his bed, his heart heavy with questions.  
He felt very removed from the whole situation. Seth was right. Everyone was talking about the egg, but no one seemed to really care about Kaiba.

"Will he be okay?" Atem whispered through numb lips. "I'm sure he'd want to see the egg…"

"Oh, I bet," Mai said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I heard people become really traumatized and detached if they don't spend enough time with their offspring in egg-form. How's Kaiba gonna hold up?"

"He's going to be fine," Mahad said, sounding like he didn't believe himself. "He's going to have to be. The egg is incubating somewhere special. Isis was born there, and that was a few millennia ago. The new princess is lucky."

"Does that mean Atem has to see the egg from time to time?" Joey asked timidly, raising his hand as if asking for permission to speak. "He'd have to go into a Chrysalis, right?"

"That…I'm not sure," Mahad said deeply, frowning and stealing a glance at the gloomy king. "We're waiting to hear back from the Council about this unique situation."

Atem blinked and nodded.  
The only upside to this entire mess would be that he'd finally know where a Chrysalis was located, because he had to visit the egg. He wasn't sure if the egg even was his, but if it meant he could somehow tell Kaiba the location of a Chrysalis, they could be reunited—

"What do you think, Atem?" Mana asked, gazing hopefully into his face with her round eyes. "You'll get to see her several times before she hatches if Mahad brings her out for you, hm?"

Atem nodded again and said nothing.

His voice had died in his throat.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

kaiba gets some mermaid healing for tearing his **xkv** during birth

Atem is shocked and mildly in denial


	42. Chapter 42

Kaiba sat angrily in the hospital bed, ignoring Mokuba's and Isono's furious glares while Kisara sat daintily in a chair on his other side, humming happily to herself, unfazed by the looks she was getting.

"Okay, drop the act," Mokuba snapped, rising to his feet and addressing Kisara. "You really are trying to kill him, aren't you?"

"Mokuba—" Kaiba began, but his brother cut across him rudely.

"What the hell were you thinking, wheeling him into the water?!"

"He's all healed," Kisara said plainly, tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder. "The doctor will tell you soon. Oh, look…"

She was saved by Marik hastily entering the room and bowing, his white-blond hair tied back into a slick ponytail.

"Well?" Mokuba demanded, advancing on Marik, his face flushed with frustration and anger. "Speak."

Marik's eyes darted frantically between all the anxious faces in the room, finally landing on Kaiba's stony gaze before he stammered, "You've made a miraculous recovery, Mr. Kaiba. Physically, everything is close to perfect. Even the scars on your back and neck faded…really quickly."

 _I had scars on my back and neck?_ Kaiba thought mildly, feeling very removed.

"Is he paying you to say this?" Mokuba asked, immediately catching onto the strange atmosphere in the room. "You guys seem like friends."

"No, he hates me," Kaiba said with a wry smile. "You know, they…put me in a pod and gave me _therapy_. I'm pretty pissed about that."

"You should keep the _therapy_ with you," Marik replied aggressively, his fingertips white over the electronic pad he was holding. "Spend time with it, otherwise you'll feel more and more detached, which is unhealthy for everyone."

Kaiba gave Marik an appraising glare. Was this man suggesting he ask Seth for the fake egg and spend time with it like it was real?

"You're kidding, right?" The former CEO raised his brow, and Marik shook his head tightly before bowing out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him, leaving the entire Kaiba family in stunned silence.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mokuba asked dryly, turning to Seto and resting a hand on his blanket-covered leg. "You're talking in code. I know it when I hear it."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Kaiba said, unable to look Mokuba in the eye. "Let me babysit Noah tomorrow and I promise I'll behave for the rest of the year."

"Yes, let him," Kisara said in a rush, her cheeks steadily turning pink. "Especially when Noah is still young."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mokuba snapped. "Okay, you know what? You guys are all being really weird, and I'm not going to question it because honestly, Seto, you can take care of yourself now. Kisara can _help_ , by pushing you off a _cliff_ into the _ocean_!"

Mokuba stormed out of the hospital room and slammed the door behind himself, rattling the lights above their heads.

Kaiba stared blankly at the door before he turned to Isono and gazed imploringly at his manservant.

"Let me in through the gate tomorrow when he's at work," Kaiba said stiffly, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "That's an order. I want to hold the kid."

Isono blinked rapidly and almost began to shake his head when Kisara held her hand up warningly, "Don't! Don't say 'no'. Just…agree."

Swallowing thinly, Isono reached out to rest his hand on Kaiba's arm, looking deeply into the master's handsome face, noting that he really hadn't aged a bit. Even Mokuba's face had shown some changes throughout the years, but Master Kaiba still looked resolutely fresh in his early twenties.

"They took my kid from me…" Kaiba whispered, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth. "They…took her…and they won't let me see her!"

Sitting up straighter, Isono frowned deeply, wondering if this was a prank, but then he noticed Kisara's cheeks were damp with tears.

This was no joke.

It seemed Master Kaiba had had a...daughter?! When?!  
How had this happened without his knowledge?!

"Who took her?" Isono asked instantly, rising to his feet, feeling as if a fire had been lit inside him.

This explained all of the master's strange behavior from the start. A child had been taken from him. It definitely warranted all of his crazy behavior, if it was all for his child.

"The…" Kaiba threw Kisara an uncertain glance and she nodded, giving him a warm smile, encouraging him to continue. "The merpeople. When I was bleeding out in the water, she came out of me in the form of an egg…and _they took her_. I don't know where she is, and no one will tell me."

Shocked to the core, Isono slowly sank back into the chair and held Kaiba's gaze, feeling his entire body grow weak. W-Was such a thing possible? It definitely would explain the giant hole inside of the Master's bowels, and the extensive hours of surgery it had taken to bring him back from the brink of death.

"That doctor's one of them," Kisara added. "I think he knows more than he's letting on. He broke the news to us when Seto was discharged. That's why you and Mokuba couldn't be in the room with us. He didn't want to tell you because he knew you'd be angry."

Shaking and trembling all over, Isono clasped his hands together and began to sweat.

Master Kaiba had always been extraordinary.  
Given his track record, this should be easy news to receive.  
He'd had a daughter and she had been taken by mermaids.  
Of course.  
It _was_ easy.  
Master Kaiba had captured a mythical creature years ago, and had discovered a way to procreate with it. Now, his beautiful child was out there…somewhere, and the master was hurting, longing to hold a child close.

"How can we find her?" Isono asked, composing himself steadily and looking into Kisara's face, finally understanding why Kaiba trusted this woman. "What can I do to help you now, Master Kaiba?"

"I'll find her," Kaiba said darkly, lacing his hands together and glaring down at his cleanly manicured fingers. "Just let me hold Noah tomorrow…and the day after…and the day after that…"

"And I'll wait at the beach every day for Seth," Kisara said, sounding determined. "Our plans to travel can wait, Seto. This is more important."

Kaiba said nothing and nodded.  
He knew he was being selfish.  
Kisara was sacrificing her precious time to help him with an unwinnable task when he had promised her the world, and a new life filled with frequent travel. Their first few months of marriage had been him burdening her with his troubles while she settled into his home.  
She had been nothing but gracious, loving, and understanding this entire time.  
He had to let her go.

"You can wait on a shore in Italy," Kaiba said evenly, feeling his conviction return stronger than ever as his head remained clear. "You won't even miss me, since he looks just like me. You can travel anywhere you want, and he'll be there waiting for you on the beach."

Now Isono was confused.  
It sounded as if Master Kaiba was sending his wife off to meet another man.

"I can't do that to you!" Kisara cried, her cheeks reddening steadily as she blushed prettily. "Besides, he said he lived 'close by'. I should be here!"

"Yeah, but don't stick around on my account," Kaiba said mildly, feeling an ache in his chest he associated with longing. "Come back every two or three months to see how I'm doing, and then take off again. Besides, he's not that close. It was a long swim down, and I was unconscious for half of it."

There was a long silence as Kisara slowly wrapped her arms around Kaiba's shoulders, holding him close to her heart while she stroked his hair softly.

"You really do love me, don't you, Seto?" She whispered, and Kaiba felt himself nod into her chest.

Yeah, he wasn't an asshole.  
He wasn't going to tie her down and force her to help him look for his egg, which was somewhere in the entire fucking ocean, being guarded by magical pacts and mythical creatures.

She wanted to travel the world.  
There was a beach on every continent.  
He'd promised she could do that, so…he would insist that she go.  
It wasn't going to be a problem.  
Besides, he was completely healed, and Isono seemed willing enough to help him see more of Noah.  
The pain he felt was purely psychological, and Kaiba was sure that if he threw himself into raising Noah, the pain would gradually subside.

"I won't abandon you just so I can go have fun all by myself," Kisara declared, pulling back to gaze deeply into his angular blue eyes. "Let's talk about this together with Seth, okay?"

"He'll agree," Kaiba said under his breath.  
He had seen the way Seth had been eyeing Kisara on the beach, and he'd seen the way Kisara had stared rapturously back at Seth.  
He'd felt like a third wheel between the two of them.  
This was definitely the right decision.

"Ahem…master Kaiba," Isono began, his voice shaking with emotion. "Who is Seth?"

Kisara looked right at Isono and said without hesitation, "His twin brother."

Nodding repeatedly, Isono decided he would ask Master Kaiba about this another time, when Kisara wasn't present to answer him with a deadened gaze that mildly frightened him, so he contented himself with watching Kaiba rest his head on Kisara's chest while she pulled him into another tight hug.

It looked like an old grandma was consoling her grandson, and the sight was quite disturbing, so he had to look away briefly.

He told himself that he wasn't going to continue judging Kaiba for his choice of partner.  
This woman only reflected well on the master's disposition.  
Seto Kaiba had a heart of gold, and clearly loved the old lady for her soul and personality.

* * *

Atem swam nervously through the water with Mahad and Shada flanked on either side of him.

Both men were silently coaching him on how to speak to the council members, but Atem wasn't hearing any of it. He was consumed with thoughts of Kaiba and how he would react if he knew how unfavorably everyone was talking about him.

He was led into a large, glass structure, and Atem barely took the time to marvel at the beauty around him before they approached a long hallway.

"This is as far as we're allowed to go," Shada said nervously, backing away from the hallway and earning a glare from Mahad.

"We will wait here," Mahad nodded, giving Atem an encouraging push down the glass hall. "You'll do well."

Atem couldn't do anything other than nod in return as he swam slowly down towards the black door at the end. Everything looked so beautiful and terrible at the same time. The walls around him were made of glass and he could see the greenery that surrounded him.

"King!" A squeaky voice sounded muffled behind him, and Atem whirled around, shocked to see the tiny purple octopus swimming rapidly beside him on the other side of the glass.

 _What are you doing here?_ Atem asked privately, throwing a furtive glance behind him and seeing Mahad and Shada as two tiny dots floating in the distance.

"I-I have a message!" The octopus cried, doing an excited twirl in the water. "Is now a bad time?!"

 _Yes, now is a bad time!_ Atem fumed, but he floated closer to the wall, hastily giving the octopus a nod. _Tell me quickly._

The octopus stilled and bobbed up and down in the water for a second before it spoke in a hurried rush, " _ATEM! Where the hell is my kid?! Do you have her? Have you seen her? Send Mahad up here for fuck's sake. Someone…talk to me! I want to see her. I want to hold her. I'm going to raise hell if you don't let me see her, or I fucking swear I'll drown myself on my way down to fucking kill you all!"_

Extremely put off by the violent threats, Atem swallowed thinly and nodded.  
His chest was bursting with questions, but he wasn't sure where to start.  
Was this message the proof he needed? The violent ranting showed that egg belonged to Kaiba, but Kaiba hadn't said who his partner was.

 _It has to be me, right?_ Atem thought viciously, wondering if Kaiba had mated with anyone else during their time apart. _It has to be._

But he couldn't know for sure.  
He hadn't seen or touched the egg! And apparently, neither had Kaiba!

"Message ended," the octopus said mildly, unperturbed by the cursing. "Would you like to reply now?"

 _Yes_ , Atem said nervously, still swimming down the hall towards the black door, his heart stuck terribly in his throat as he hastily sent the octopus a stream of thought.

 _"Kaiba, I haven't seen the egg for myself yet. Mana, Mahad, and our Medic rushed her into the Chrysalis because she needed air. I heard she's fine, but I haven't seen her with my own eyes. I'm in the hallway of the Council's Chambers right this very second, and I will try to keep her safe. Don't drown yourself or do anything stupid. I hope you're well. I heard egg-bearing is painful and hard work. I have no idea what it entails. I'm just glad you're alive. I miss you dearly."_

"Atem! Are you speaking to a Messenger?" Mahad called from the start of the hallway, and Atem ignored his bodyguard, pressing a palm against the glass and addressing the octopus.

"Did you get all that?" Atem asked roughly, and to his relief, the octopus gave him a stiff salute and zoomed off into the water in the distance, leaving nothing but a stream of white bubbles behind it.

Sighing heavily, he turned and floated towards the giant black doors, resting his clawed hand on the ornate handle and saying a quick prayer before pulling it open.

A group of four white-haired merpeople were floating around the room in pairs, all whispering to each other when he floated awkwardly in the doorway.

"Well, come in," the old man closest to him said, nodding his head. He wore a thin golden band on his forehead and looked quite youthful for an Elder.

"Tell us your story," a woman piped up, pointing at the giant red sponge in the middle of the room, and Atem nervously approached it and perched himself on top of it, feeling cold all over.

The faces around him looked pleasant and the tones of voices were kind, but he wasn't sure if it was only an act.

"Please don't remove her from the Chrysalis," Atem said instantly, forgetting what Mahad and Shada had told him to say. "I'm not even sure if she's mine."

"Regardless…" The old man said, floating around over his head. "She is now resting in one of our Pools. If she is yours, will you be raising her in your Kingdom?"

Atem stayed silent, unsure of how to answer.  
If he accepted responsibility for this egg, would this mean Kaiba wouldn't be allowed to see her?

"No," Atem said stiffly, gazing at the other pair of merpeople in the far end of the room. "I didn't birth her, so that's not my decision."

"But it _is_ your decision, and she _is_ yours," the woman at the back of the room said, and Atem noticed she also wore a thin golden crown on her head. The symbol in the middle of her forehead was inked very faintly with the Greek letter, 'lambda'*.

"But—" Atem began, but he was interrupted by the old man closest to him, the one sporting a golden circlet with the letter 'phi' on his forehead.

"Even _if_ she is not yours, you are the ruler of the land she is now incubating in," Elder Phi said gravely. "It sounds to me like you are shirking responsibility, King Atem. She could be a future queen, and are my ears deceiving me? You want nothing to do with her?"

Atem ground his teeth tightly and decided to rephrase his statement carefully.

"The merperson who birthed her should raise her," Atem said stiffly, hoping desperately that this was what Kaiba wanted. "Please allow him to see her. Please give him access to a Chrysalis so that he can see her."

"I heard he is a Lost Warrior," the old woman closest to him said, bobbed up and down in the water, the golden 'A' on her head gleamed in the low lights. "From the Kingdom of Helios."

Atem blinked rapidly, wondering where all of this new information was coming from.

How did everyone else know so much about Kaiba when he personally knew so little?  
He'd also faintly recalled Mahad saying there were at least twenty council members. Only four were present here now: Elder Alpha, Phi, Lambda, and another elder whose marking he couldn't see.

"Helios? That colony has been demolished," Elder Phi said stiffly, looking somber. "…I heard the entire royal family is dead, save for one prince, Prince Seth, and he's been conducting illegal trades. I don't believe she should be raised in such a destitute place."

Atem's stomach twisted violently and he opened his mouth to protest, but Elder Lamda floated forward and spoke.

"If we allow one Lost Warrior to enter the Chrysalis, we must allow this for others, and this would compromise the pacts protecting the Pools. Is it worth breaking for one child who might be a royal?"

"Yes," Atem said instantly, and he gazed imploringly at the old woman with the golden 'A' on her forehead. "And I plan to lift the ban on trades regarding Human Artifacts. Seth is not doing anything illegal. He's…rebuilding."

There was a long silence and the Elders shared significant looks.

"What?" Atem asked heatedly, wondering if he should've said anything at all. "That was a secret. I regret saying it."

"No, on the contrary, I'm glad you brought it up," Elder Alpha said firmly, her eyes gleaming warmly. "If you are lifting the ban to help him, I admire your loyalty, Atem. I've really enjoyed vacationing in Helios. I'd be thrilled if he managed to rebuild by the end of this century."

There was a unison of nods and Atem held his breath, daring to hope. Was he mistaken or was this meeting going…well?

"Then we shall wait and see if he can finish rebuilding by the time she hatches," Elder Phi said deeply, floating away to lean against a pillar at the far end of the room. "We will be there for the celebration. See you soon, King Atem."

Atem nodded and bowed hastily, trying to contain his shock as he darted to the exit, his heart pounding thickly in his ears as he shut the giant black door behind him.

Swimming at breakneck speed back to Mahad and Shada at the end of the long, glass hallway, Atem felt slightly better as he tried to picture Seth's pleasantly surprised face when he received the good news.

* * *

Sitting comfortably on the couch in the nursery, Kaiba gazed down into Noah's peaceful, sleeping face in his arms. The baby's weight was comforting against his chest, and he'd begun to appreciate little details he'd previously missed, like Noah's wonderful, soft breaths, and the way he would open his eyes slowly and yawn widely after a nap.

Leaning back into the cushions, Kaiba let his breath out in a tight sigh, forcing himself to relax.

There was a horrible gut-wrenching churn of dread sitting low in his stomach every time he thought about Ayame returning from work to pry the baby out of his arms for a feeding, and this was only his second week living at the mansion with Mokuba and Isono.

His phone buzzed softly in his pocket and Kaiba rose slowly to his feet, moving to set the baby down into the crib before he answered it.

The caller ID flashed briefly on the screen and Kaiba barely paid it any mind, keeping his gaze nailed to baby Noah's angelic face as he pressed the phone to his ear and spoke quietly, "Kaiba."

"Seto!" Kisara sounded happy and breathless on the other end. "You won't believe the good news… here!"

Wind rustled loudly through the receiver on the other side, and Kaiba could barely hear Seth's voice echoing from the phone over the sound of crashing waves.

"Brother!" Seth cried, and Kaiba winced at the loudness. "The Kingdom of Muran has lifted the ban on Human Artifacts. We can thrive again! How about you send me several thousand preserved books to start with?"

Kaiba blinked rapidly, recalling the long and arduous efforts it took to preserve books in plastic, and he frowned, whispering his reply, "Several thousand?! It takes the craftsman _a month_ to do a hundred! That's impractical,and will take way too damn long."

"What then…?" Seth called back, his voice nearly drowned out by a loud rush of wind. "Children's toys perhaps? I remember that being popular back in the days before the wars."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes and turned away from baby Noah, striding out of the nursery and closing the door softly behind him, his mind racing with ideas.  
Children's toys were worthless.  
Children grew up and would grow out of their toy preferences.  
Toys were fads and would change in shape and color based on preference, which he would eventually have to discard if merpeople grew tired of them.  
Not to mention, dragging down tons of plastic-made toys to sell underwater wouldn't bode well with their anti-pollution efforts.

No, it had to be something consumable, niche, and coveted.

Definitely not books.  
Books were consumed and then tossed aside, save for a few beloved, classic tales.

No…it had to be something _monumental_ …something that would generate riches, enough riches to rebuild an entire city….

"Seto? Are you still there?" Kisara's voice drifted through the receiver, sounding worried. "…I think he's disconnected. Shall I hang up?"

"I have a shit ton of lipstick," Kaiba said numbly, his mouth moving before he could properly piece together the thoughts himself. "Mermaids love that, don't they?"

"He says he has lots of lipstick!" Kisara yelled over the crashing waves, and he heard Seth let out a triumphant shout of laughter.

"Good idea, Seto!" Seth cried. "Do you know how hard intact lipstick is to find? Oh, and a tube of _'fresh, unused lipstick'_ goes for one ruby now. If we are selling _new_ lipstick, we can charge three emeralds easy!"

Kaiba nodded to himself, thinking he needed to sit down and do some math. He had a lot to learn about mer-currency, and he couldn't do this by shouting over the phone with Seth.

"Stay there, I'm coming," Kaiba said quietly, and he heard Kisara relay the message before the line went dead.

Isono stood a few paces away at the top of the stairs, giving him an appraising look.

"Master Kaiba?"

"He's asleep," Kaiba announced proudly, tucking his phone away into his pocket. "He'll stay asleep until Ayame comes back to feed him."

"You're getting quite good at getting him to sleep," Isono praised, but Kaiba barely heard him. He was taking the stairs down four at a time and was halfway out the door, striding to his white sports car parked on the concrete beside the large fountain.

Shaking his head to himself, Isono watched as Kaiba threw himself into the convertible and started the engine with a deafening roar.

 _He still acts like a young man,_ Isono thought mildly, before he entered the nursery with soft footsteps.

* * *

Atem was sitting alone in the courtyard when Mana came zooming towards him, her cheeks flushed pink with excitement.

"I have good news," she gushed, reaching down to grab his hands, pulling him off the bench and towards the palace gates. "Mahad will be bringing your egg out of the Chrysalis for a viewing! We'll all get to meet her. Hurry!"

Atem grit his teeth nervously and let Mana lead him back into the palace, towards the Medic's hallway. As they passed the maiden's chambers, Isis swam out of her room to join them, her long black hair flowing behind her gracefully as she floated beside Atem.

"My king," she said seriously, her violet eyes dark with concern. "I have some news from Marik regarding Seto Kaiba."

"What is it?" Atem asked instantly, his heart tightening in his chest. "Is he ill?"

Isis frowned, and they floated to a stop outside the medic's chambers. She nodded gravely at Mana, and Mana let go of Atem's arm, swimming through the doors and leaving them outside, alone.

"You told Mana before you told me?" Atem whispered fervently, his eyes widening with mild jealousy. "What's the news? Is it serious? Is he hurt?"

"No. He's married," Isis said dryly, folding her arms across her chest with a look of disdain flitting across her pretty face. "…To a white-haired beauty who looks like a shore-maiden from the Kingdom of Ilkos."

Atem blinked, his world tilting violently.  
There was a strange ringing in his ears and his entire body felt heavy.

He burned with questions, but the main one being…

"How long?" Atem breathed, placing a palm on the chamber wall to steady himself. "…H-Had they always been married?"

"No, this was a recent development," Isis said, kindly resting a warm hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. It seems he really wanted to abandon the egg so he could live out a life on shore with this maiden. I thought you should know before we go inside…"

Atem shook his head slowly, unable to hear anything other than the horrible ringing of disbelief in his ears. No. It couldn't be.  
Impossible.  
It had to be a lie, or there had to be a reason why Kaiba had married. And just because Kaiba's status had changed, didn't mean Kaiba's feelings for him had disappeared.

 _Was it because I told him to get married?_ Atem reeled, his anger flaring briefly before he was consumed with an overwhelming cloud of sadness.

"Take all the time you need," Isis said, floating inside and leaving him alone in the hallway.

Curling his hand into a fist, Atem grit his teeth so hard, he saw green.  
This had to be…the _worst_ news of the century.  
Didn't Kaiba send him a cursing message a couple weeks ago?  
Why did he still care about the egg when he was happily married?

"Atem?"

Atem jerked his head up, quickly palming the tears off his face, his ears burning with frustration when he realized it was Shada, giving him a concerned frown.

"Ambassador," Atem said stiffly, surprised that his voice still worked. "I'll see you inside."

"Don't shed a tear for him," Shada said gruffly, his frown wrinkling the sharp tattoo on his forehead. "Shore maidens from Ilkos are few and far between. She may very well be one of the last ones living on land this century."

Atem swallowed thinly, trying to stomach his own distress.  
That comment…didn't make him feel better.  
Knowing that she was a rare maiden from a far-away kingdom infamous for abandoning the ocean for legs on land didn't make him feel better.  
In fact, his blood was boiling, knowing that Kaiba had probably sought her out intentionally.

"Come…let's meet your child," Shada said awkwardly, giving Atem a pat on the arm. "I've heard many great things about her."

Atem said nothing, glumly following Shada into the Medic's chambers where everyone had gathered around an incubator.

Solomon floated aside to let Atem in for a closer look, noting that his grandson's eyes were unusually puffy, looking as if he'd been crying. Shifting uncomfortably, he caught a worried glance from Mahad, and he gave the warrior a stiff nod.  
Atem was emotional. Understandable.  
This was hard for everyone because the egg-bearer wasn't present.

Atem bit the inside of his cheek as he gazed at the enormous black egg encapsulated in the transparent, yellow membrane of the incubator, his stomach turned with nausea. If he was being completely honest, it looked…absolutely disgusting.

A thin crop of veins was protruding from the tip of the incubator where it had been detached from the sand, and Atem had to look away. The sight of jellyfish eggs had always made his skin crawl, and this was somehow a thousand times worse.

Knowing that there was a mer-baby growing in the pulsing membrane incubator made it a million times worse.

"Do you want to...hold her?" The Medic asked gently, and Atem couldn't shake his head fast enough.

"No," Atem replied vehemently, his skin growing cold when he saw a tiny arm push against the thin edge of the half-transparent egg. "I—It's not mine."

"You don't feel any connection to this child?" The Medic asked, raising her eyebrows in shock. "Perhaps you really should touch her just to make sure."

Atem set his jaw and shook his head furiously, but to his rising horror, the medic reached forward to gently pry the thin skin of the incubator open and scooped out the egg with one, fluid motion, cradling it in one arm against her breast.

Recoiling, Atem shook his head again, but caught a sharp glare from Mana and Solomon that made his heart skip a painful beat.

 _Touch the egg_ , _Atem._ Mana said with an uncharacteristically steely look in her eye. _She's yours. You'll see._

Wincing, Atem rested a trembling palm against the surface of the black egg, terrified for a moment that it would move, or worse, pop, but to his relief, he felt nothing aside from a warm, happy heartbeat.

"There, I've—" Atem began to withdraw his hand but froze when Kaiba's handsome face flashed across the front of his mind, rooting him to the spot with shock and horror. The image faded just as quickly as it came, and Atem jerked his hand back, feeling his palm burn with a strange sensation.

"I'm sure you can see the egg-bearer's face more clearly than I can," the medic said gently, easing the egg back into the yellow membrane and sealing it slowly by sticking the edges together with a firm knead of her fingers. "Isn't he pretty? I'm sure she will be pretty as well."

"Everyone can see the bearer's face when they touch an egg," Atem said gruffly, having done some light reading on eggs in an attempt to bore himself to sleep in the past few restless nights. "That doesn't mean she's mine."

"Yes, yes, true," Isis said, nodding in approval. "We'll have to wait until she hatches and do a blood match."

"I second this," Mahad said gruffly, resting his palms on the sides of the yellow incubator, giving the Medic a polite nod. "I will bring her back now."

"But we must keep her, even if she doesn't match anyone in our kingdom!" The Medic protested as Mahad swam away quickly out through the front doors. "She's healthy and would make a great addition to our colony…!"

There was a thin silence before Shada broke it, gruffly saying, "Meeting adjourned. I have somewhere to be," and he swam away quickly.

Mana bobbed forward in the water and threw her arms around Atem's shoulders, bringing him into a tight hug, whispering, "Everything will be fine. You have all of us to help raise her. Even if she's not yours…we have a new family member! Isn't that great?!"

Atem's voice was stuck terribly in his throat, slowly choking the soul out of his body as he nodded automatically, unable to feel his entire body due to the numbing shock. Even if she wasn't his…she was Kaiba's…and Atem wasn't sure he could live with himself until he found out if he was really related to this egg.

* * *

Kaiba sat on the wet beach with Kisara on his left and Seth on his right while he wrote in the sand, listening to Seth rapidly list precious gems and their worth to merpeople.

"You really don't remember any of this?" Seth asked stiffly, giving his twin an appraising look. "This is basic knowledge of our economy!"

"I said I don't fucking remember anything," Kaiba chanted, tapping his finger beside the word 'ruby' impatiently. "Keep talking. How much are rubies worth?"

Kisara rested a warm hand on his arm and Kaiba spared her a smile, feeling his body heat up gratefully at her touch. Something about his body had changed since the egg, and Kaiba found that gentle touches he once spurned from others were now calming and welcome.

"This is the wrong way to do it," Seth declared, sweeping his hand over Kaiba's writing in the sand. "Stop comparing it to the human economy. They're not remotely the same."

"But that's how I understand money," Kaiba raged, hating that Seth had so carelessly destroyed his list. "Great. Now start over," he snapped, slipping out his phone to text himself a memo, thinking he could never do things the old-fashioned way.

Seth let out an exasperated sigh and gazed out over the horizon, waving his dark blue fin over an oncoming wave, trying to fight the curling bubble of despair inside him. Seto…really didn't remember anything about their life underwater, and it was disheartening.

"I'll dictate what I remember," Kisara said, raising her hand voluntarily, giving Kaiba another soft smile. "Pearls are the cheapest, based on size—"

"I've got it," Kaiba muttered under his breath, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he typed out the list from memory.

 _"Pearls (size, SM to L) – 1 – 10_

 _Turquoise - 10 – 20_

 _Agate (brown, red, yellow, green, blue, basically the fucking rainbow) – 20 – 40_

 _Diamond – 40 – 50_

 _Sapphire – 50 – 60"_

Seth let out another sad sigh and Kaiba lowered his phone to glare.

"How much are rubies?" Kaiba snapped, quickly losing his patience. "My time is money, and money is power. Talk, for fuck's sake."

 _Be nice to each other,_ Kisara reprimanded him gently, but Kaiba ignored her, focusing on the information Seth was steadily giving him.

 _"Rubies and Amethysts – 60 – 80_

 _Opals (black, fire, red, blue, white) –100 – 300_

 _Emeralds – 300 solid, non-negotiable._

 _Anything handmade (bracelet, anklet, earrings etc.) with the combo of above, costs up to 500_

 _Silver (unforged) upwards to 850 / (forged) negotiable depending on craftsmanship_

 _Gold (unforged) upwards to 1,000 / (forged) negotiable depending on craftsmanship_

 _Demon eggs – priceless / worthless / rare but unsellable"_

"What the hell are you writing?" Seth asked, wrinkling his nose as he craned his neck over Kaiba's shoulder, reading the strange notes after each gem. "Demon eggs are not worthless!"

"They are if no one wants to buy them," Kaiba replied monotonously. "You said they're fucking rare, but who the hell can afford to own them aside from royal families? No one. So they're worthless to the masses."

There was a tense silence where Seth made awkward eye contact with Kisara and he looked away quickly, his ears burning.

"Very well, write your notes," Seth said airily, enjoying the warm rush of water swirling around his waist. "When do you want to start giving me shipments?"

"Hold on…" Kaiba breathed, scanning the pricing list rapidly, his eyes blurring slightly the longer he stared at it. "You said you wanted to sell each tube for _three emeralds_? Are you insane? Women on land don't even pay that much for lipstick. Are you a monster?"

"Yeah, are you a monster?" Kisara echoed, giving Seth a mischievous grin. "That's nearly 1,000 for one tube!"

"Yes, untouched lipstick is extremely hard to find!" Seth protested, and Kaiba held his hand up for silence, his eyes shining with triumph.

"Seth listen," Kaiba began, feeling his heart pound with a rare spark of excitement. "You're going to lower the price to corner the market. These new lipsticks will be all the fucking rage. We'll sell them for rainbow agates."

Seth's jaw dropped open, his claws curling tightly into the sand with disbelief as he shook his head in vehement disagreement.

"Are _you_ insane?" Seth demanded, briefly wondering where his sharp and intelligent brother had gone. "You want to trade a precious commodity for rainbow agate?! Seto, to put it in human terms, you're selling these lipsticks for… _pennies."_

"No, _pearls_ are pennies," Kaiba corrected him gleefully, pointing at his glowing phone screen with a slender finger. "Agate has the most range in this entire list. This is where the money is. Trust me."

"Opals have a nice range too," Seth protested, wincing as a ray of the setting sun caught him in the eye. "Why not sell them for opals?"

"You can do that _after_ everyone knows your quality can be trusted," Kaiba said, smiling. "You want everyone to be able to afford this. Rainbow agate is our price. Nothing more, nothing less. You can even charge by the color."

"That was the plan," Seth grumbled, uncurling his fingers from the wet sand, his heart thundering nervously in his chest as he observed Kaiba's rising confidence. "Are you sure we won't be harming our water by doing this?"

"The lipsticks are made with a seaweed blend," Kaiba gave Seth a smirk, relishing in his twin's pleasantly shocked expression. "They're waterproof, and they'll dry out nicely if left in the sun, so if you offer collection services for used tubes, we'll have a nice recycle system going."

"Will you charge for the collection service?" Kisara piped up, and Seth shot her handsome grin.

"Yes! That way, we can charge two pearls for disposing each tube!" Seth crowed, clapping Kaiba on the back joyfully. "I'll collect them and hand them to you for cleaning and re-filling. This is brilliant, Seto!"

"And everyone gets lipstick," Kisara said happily, hugging her knees to her chest as a particularly large wave billowed around her skirt, and Seth's cheeks reddened visibly.

"Yeah, and you two should get a room," Kaiba muttered bitterly under his breath, tucking his phone safely back into his blazer pocket. "We'll start small. 100 units. Can you do it?"

He raised his head and met Seth's fiery blue gaze, and his chest tightened strangely. It was like looking into a mirror…except his mirror had longer hair and a fish's tail attached to the lower body.

"Two hundred," Seth said confidently, inching down towards the water tail-first. "I'm drying out, but don't worry, I can do it. I can even recruit some help."

"Don't pay the help yet," Kaiba said nervously, and he heard Kisara protest angrily.

"Salespeople should be paid!"

"I'll pay them in product," Seth said reassuringly, giving her a warm smile. "And when we have a more solid system, we can properly pay our…Salespeople, as you put it."

Kaiba ground his teeth furiously as he watched Seth reach out to kiss Kisara's hand before rolling into a large wave and disappearing underneath the foam.

"Goodbye! See you tomorrow!" Kisara cried, waving energetically from her spot in the sand, and she caught a dark look from Seto beside her. "W-What?"

"You like him," Kaiba said accusingly, feeling his stomach twist with a strange feeling. "Don't bother hiding it."

"I…I like you both!" Kisara protested, pouting prettily. She stood quickly and brushed the sand off her skirt, storming off back towards the house in a huff.

Kaiba watched her go, ignoring the strange tugging he felt in his chest, and he turned his gaze back over the horizon to watch the brilliant orange sun sink into the ocean.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Atem meets the egg, and Noah gets more attention from Uncle Seto! Meanwhile Seth is strategizing on how to rebuild their underwater kingdom!

Λ – lambda (uppercase)

Φ – phi (uppercase)

A – alpha (uppercase)


	43. Chapter 43

Kaiba sat cross-legged on the floor beside baby Noah, clutching his phone in one hand and a toy in the other.

He was waiting for an important call from Kisara. Hopefully she landed without incident in Korea and had already met up with Seth on that shore to deliver the lipsticks.  
What the hell was taking her so long to call?  
They were probably fucking each other.

A tiny fist came for the toy and wrenched it ferociously from his hand.

"Bah ha!" Noah cried triumphantly, shaking the brightly colored rattle loudly. "I gots… I gots!"

 _Congrats_ , Kaiba thought dryly, reaching to take the toy back. _Wanna play fetch?_

His phone buzzed in his fist, so he hastily answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Kisara, what the h—"

"Seto, it's me," Mokuba said, sounding exhausted. "I don't think I can finish by midnight. Ayame is coming home now, so…just letting you know."

Kaiba said nothing, his chest tightening with a strange feeling as he nodded.  
He was suddenly reminded of how he used to be the one making these calls back home while he worked long hours, and now he was on the receiving end of it.

"Don't push yourself," Kaiba said, but Mokuba had already hung up.

Staring blankly at his phone, Kaiba blinked rapidly, trying to stem the turbulent emotions coursing through his body.

"Pa pa," Noah said plainly, slapping his wet palm against the phone screen, leaving a slimy, spit-smeared streak across the glass. "Pa pa."

"Yes, you little brat…stop it," Kaiba held his phone out of arm's reach and snatched the towel that was hanging off his own shoulder, hastily wiping his phone clean. On a second thought, he passed the towel under Noah's dribbling chin too, also making sure to rake the cloth against his drool-covered hands for good measure.

Why did babies drool so much? Why was Noah biting everything in sight?

It was positively gross, and he couldn't do anything about it other than change his entire outfit when he was finished spending time with Noah.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Kaiba stiffened nervously, his stomach dropping to his feet with dread. It was Ayame, coming to take the baby away.

She stepped into the room and rushed over to scoop Noah off the floor, nuzzling her nose into his cheek while the baby screeched happily with laughter.

Kaiba's chest tightened painfully again.

"Oh, Mr. Kai—I mean, Seto, thank you so much for your help," she gushed, and a strand of her black hair came loose from the bun on her head. "It's been so hectic at work. We should really sit down to have dinner together one of these evenings when Mokuba is free."

"No thanks," Kaiba said coldly, rising to his feet and feeling his phone buzz promisingly in his hand again. "I'm busy."

He strode to the door, and his heart nearly stopped when he heard baby Noah called out to him.

"Pa pa!"

"No... shhh!" Ayame flushed in embarrassment and bowed her head down apologetically. "Have a good night!"

Kaiba nodded stiffly and closed the door, hearing her thoughts echo loudly in his mind.

 _My god! How embarrassing! I'm going to tell Mokuba about this…_

Biting his tongue painfully, Kaiba glanced down at his phone, irritated to discover that he'd missed the call.

God damn it all…

He walked down the grand staircase back to his room on the second floor, passing by two butlers who both gasped nervously and bowed as he passed.

"Seto?" Kisara's voice sounded far away on the phone, and the background sounded quiet.  
Was she in the car?

"Where are you?" Kaiba asked softly, easing the door shut behind himself and leaning against it. "Have you landed?"

"Yes, the driver you arranged is taking me to the beach," she said confidently. "Seth will be there, right? He hasn't failed to show up yet! Oh gosh, I can't wait to come home to tell you all about Rome! Seth would want to hear about it too!"

"Glad you're having fun," Kaiba answered sourly, hoping his tone didn't transfer over, but she noticed immediately and said somberly. "I miss you dearly, Seto. Don't worry, I am having lots of fun with Seth."

"Great," Kaiba said, once again trying not to sound sarcastic, but it was hard.

"How's the baby?" She asked quietly, and Kaiba's heart skipped an uncertain beat when he realized she was asking about Noah and not…his missing daughter.

"He's up, walking, talking, screaming and drooling. Nothing new," Kaiba replied, now itching to hang up. "Don't worry about me. Enjoy Korea."

"I will!" She sang, and the line clicked off in his ear.

Sighing heavily, Kaiba pressed two fingers to the bridge of his nose, biting back tears of frustration.

Spending time with Noah did help ease the ache in his heart, but he still felt like he was missing something. He could hear thoughts from the butlers passing by his door, and it made his temper flare.

 _The older Kaiba still behaves like he's 18…throwing tantrums and slamming doors…_

 _…So, should I just leave the towels here or knock?_

 _Better come back later…_

The footsteps faded down the hall and Kaiba grit his teeth angrily. Walking over to his desk, he slipped the steel cuffs out of his desk drawer and secured them onto his arms, enjoying the coolness of the metal against his skin.

Hearing harsh criticism about himself in his own house was difficult to live with.

 _I should move back to the beach property,_ Kaiba thought bitterly, turning to gaze out the window into the green garden. _But the ocean just reminds me of Atem…and Seth._

Letting out a stiff sigh, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket again, and he slipped it out of his pocket, expecting to see Kisara's name on his screen. Instead, it was a text message from an unknown number.

 _"Where are you? Are you free now? I'm going to give you coordinates. Ready?"_

Hissing in annoyance, Kaiba hit the call button and pressed the phone to his ear, listening to the rings.

The mystery person's tone sounded like a merperson. Coordinates? It had to either be Seth or someone near him….

After three rings, the phone was answered by a deep voice that sounded vaguely familiar.

"Do you have time now?" The voice asked urgently, and another, more welcoming voice echoed in the background.

"Ayyyy rich boy! It's me, Tris—"

"Shut up! We'll be heard," snapped the deep voice which Kaiba realized was Mahad. "Seto Kaiba? Is this the correct number? I know it has been a while since we last talked."

" _A while_?!" Kaiba breathed, his heart racing so fast in his ears, it became a low hum. "It's been _two decades!_ Fuck you!"

"Well, I have to thank you for making my life difficult," Mahad answered shortly, and Kaiba could hear Tristan yammering in the background, and part of him ached to talk to Tristan instead. "Are you well?"

"Where the hell are you? I'm coming to you, right the fuck now," Kaiba hissed, storming to the door and through the house, aiming for the garage. "Do you have my kid?"

He passed Ayame who was nursing quietly in the lounge by the balcony, and her eyes widened when she heard this.

"I… Yes," Mahad said awkwardly after a long pause, and Kaiba snatched car keys off the hook, gripping them so hard, his fingers burned.

 _"Again…where the fuck are you?"_ Kaiba enunciated, unaware that the language he was speaking had changed. " _I'm going to kill you."_

"But I saved her," Mahad protested, his blood running cold at the sudden threats. He had grown so accustomed to Seth's soft-spoken politeness that hearing Kaiba's mean cursing reminded him that the brothers were complete opposites.

"She's stable enough, now. I'll bring her out of the Chrysalis for you. Come quickly."

Kaiba hung up in a fit of rage and dashed into the garage, throwing himself behind the wheel and starting his car with an angry roar. His phone buzzed in his pocket with the location, and he gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

After an entire year of waiting, these bastards were finally letting him have a glimpse of his kid.

* * *

Tristan swam in a slow circle, eyeing the beach apprehensively while he kept his weapon at his side, on high-alert.

Mahad stood nervously at the cliff side, making sure he had a clear view of the road leading to the island. His phone had been silent for the past hour ever since he had sent the coordinates, and he hoped Kaiba hadn't hurt himself in his haste to get there.

Sneaking the egg out of the Chrysalis at Atem's insistence, without anyone's knowledge had been a challenge. Especially since it was considered a royal egg, security around the border had tripled, so it was only with the help of Joey and Tristan that he'd managed this feat.

And this was all for Kaiba.

 _I hear something,_ Tristan perked his ears up and tapped his spear against the rock, alerting Mahad. _Car. Sounds familiar. I'll dive down now. He can swim, ya know?_

 _Yes, as can I, as can all of us_ , Mahad replied dryly, his back drenched with cold sweat.  
He was breaking so many laws right now.  
If they were to be caught smuggling an egg for a human to see it, even Atem's royal pardon wouldn't save him.

* * *

Kaiba pulled the car around and parked in an empty lot at the base of the island, seeing many rocky cliffs towering in the distance. Shutting the engine off, he patted his pocket, making sure he had extra syringes with him before he tossed his phone and wallet into the tiny glove compartment. Then, he climbed out and slammed the door loudly, scanning the beach, wondering if he'd lost any of his mobility in the water.

It had been several months since he'd properly had a long swim, because he'd been so busy with baby Noah.

"He's there!" Mahad cried, pointing at the tiny figure in the distance, and Tristan waved his spear rapidly, sticking his arm in and out of the water energetically.

 _Oi! Oiiiiiiiii! RICH BOY!_ Tristan yelled mentally, wondering why Kaiba couldn't hear them, because he was in range. _Over here, you idiot!_

Both mermen watched as Kaiba's tall figure stalked up and down the beach, looking agitated.

"Oh, shit, he can't hear us!" Tristan cried, stabbing his staff into the cliffside for safekeeping. "He's wearing the cuffs! I'll go get him!"

"No, don't leave your post—!" Mahad shouted angrily, but it was already too late. Tristan dove down into the depths and swam towards shallow water.

Kaiba listened intently, wondering why he couldn't hear anything other than the sound of waves lapping against the soft sand.

 _Who's there?_ Kaiba called anxiously, feeling as if he was about to explode with frustration.

A muscular arm stuck out of the water in the distance and Kaiba blinked, his heart skipping a beat as he recognized the golden bands strapped around the wrist. A-Atem?

A brown-haired merman rose out of the water, grinning, and Kaiba sprinted into the water, his entire body searing with a mixture of rage and relief as he tackled him into another oncoming wave.

Mahad watched this from afar with his mouth open, hearing Tristan's frantic but happy thoughts echoing through the air.

 _Ow! …I get it! Yeah…I missed you too! F-Fuck! Hey, you finally trimmed your claws down… ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Leggo!_

"Where is she?" Kaiba shouted, locking his arm around Tristan's neck and slowly tightening it as a large wave crashed over them, drenching him completely, but he didn't care. "Where is that fucker, Mahad?"

"C-Can't…bre-e-eathe…" Tristan choked, trying to pry Kaiba's arm off from around his neck, and his fingers brushed against cold metal. "Take…these off!"

Releasing Tristan slowly, Kaiba realized he was still wearing the cuffs.  
Shit. Bad oversight.

Coughing weakly, Tristan punched him in the arm and held his hand out expectantly, as if asking for a hand-out.

There was an awkward silence as Kaiba bobbed against an oncoming wave and stared at the palm of Tristan's hand.

"Can I have them?" Tristan asked shamelessly, eyeing the metal cuffs greedily. "Please?"

"First…Mahad," Kaiba said through gritted teeth, unable to form complete sentences in his distress.

"Oh, we were over here," Tristan replied blithely, pulling Kaiba by the arm to lead him towards the giant cliffside. "Mahad is up there. You didn't have to come down here."

Glowering, Kaiba said nothing and pressed the steel cuffs tighter against his skin, letting Tristan drag him through the water and float to a stop where a spear was sticking straight out of the rock.

He glanced straight up and saw billowing robes peeking over the edge of the cliff, and his rage rose to an all-time high. Slipping off his cuffs, he tossed them to Tristan, who pulled them on eagerly and struck a masculine pose.

"No one will hear me now!" He crowed, and Kaiba ignored him.

He dug his hand into the rocky cliffside beside him and shouted up at the figure above him.

 _"Mahad! Where's my kid?!"_

 _Shut up! Come this way!_ Mahad hissed back, his ears ringing with Kaiba's sharp merspeak, and goosebumps raised along his arms. _Warrior_ _Tristan, lead him to the private shore while I travel on foot. It's an eight-minute swim, so keep up!_

Mahad's figure disappeared above him, so Kaiba glanced expectantly at Tristan, waiting for the merman to kick off the rock and take the lead, but to his annoyance, Tristan was still making exaggerated faces and flexing his muscles while admiring the steel cuffs.

"You didn't hear him!" Kaiba growled, reaching up to yank the wedged spear from the rock beside their heads. "Take me there, or better yet, give those back!"

"Nah, man, you said I could have 'em!" Tristan replied snobbily, and he threw Kaiba a playful grin. "Okay, Rich Boy, this way. Let's go!"

He pushed away from the rock and took off at breakneck speed, feeling Kaiba follow him closely, and he threw a glance over his shoulder carelessly, his heart skipping a nervous beat when he saw Kaiba's determined glare searing holes through him.

Looking away quickly, Tristan grit his teeth and swam faster, trying to quell the rising guilt in his chest. That was a look he'd never seen Kaiba wear before. It was a mixture of anger and desperation, one associated with…worry and love about an offspring.

 _So I guess he has feelings like that too,_ Tristan thought to himself, and he quickly braced himself to be shouted at by Kaiba, but realized with a jolt that he was wearing the cuffs which blocked his thoughts.

 _Aw, shit, nice!_ Tristan celebrated inside his head, and Kaiba narrowed his eyes, his legs growing tired and numb from the icy coldness of the ocean water.

His stamina was low, and every cell in his body was burning for oxygen.

 _Wait, I need air!_ Kaiba growled, and he began to power upwards through the water with large strokes, but cursed when he realized Tristan couldn't hear him…because of the cuffs.

Those metal bands were going to cause strife underwater if production of them went unchecked.

Popping his head above water, Kaiba took a deep breath, his heart thundering in his ears. Holy shit, it had been a while since he'd swam this hard and this fast.

Tristan no longer felt Kaiba's presence beside him, so he skidded to a halt, seeing long legs treading water several yards behind him. He turned around and headed back, growing worried.

"Whassa'matter, Rich Boy? Can't keep up?" Tristan said, popping his head up and trying to sound playful, but he could hear the pity seeping through his own voice.

"I keep trying to tell you I need air, but you can't fucking hear me!" Kaiba fumed, grabbing onto Tristan's arms and attempting to pry the steel cuffs off his arms. "Give them back! They're dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands!"

"Wh—let go! Jeez! What the fuck!" Tristan coughed as a large wave washed over his head and Kaiba tackled him down in the water with surprising force. He felt one of the cuffs leave his wrist as Kaiba's nails dragged across his skin, drawing a thin stream of blood.

"OW ow ow! DUDE!" Tristan gurgled, fighting back viciously, but Kaiba was quicker. Long legs wrapped around him tightly, pinning his arms to his sides, and he felt Kaiba pry the other cuff off his arm, causing his mind to be flooded with violent threats.

 _Fucking stay still! Fuck you! Give it back. You don't deserve them.  
Do you know how many colonies would be fucked if they knew these existed? I haven't even figured out how merpeople communicate telepathically, so you can't take my prototype!_

 _"Ack!"_ Tristan clawed his way out of Kaiba's grip and bobbed up and down in the water, gasping for breath. "Holy f-fudge! Where did you learn how to fight dirty like that? We sure as hell didn't teach you that shit!"

"Seth," Kaiba said darkly, slipping the cuffs back onto his arms and glaring at Tristan. "Now let's go. I want to see my kid."

"I'm bleeding…" Tristan whined, rubbing the three long gashes on his forearm. "…Man, your Camaraderie sucks."

"I'm…not sorry," Kaiba said through gritted teeth, pushing past Tristan in the water and swimming ahead. "Come on!"

Grumbling irritably to himself, Tristan dove back underwater and continued leading the way.

Kaiba kicked through the water on his aching legs, ignoring the terrible burning in his thighs as they continued through a series of rough waves.  
Damn, how he fucking wished for a tail now.  
This was exhausting. Where the hell were they going?  
All he could see was dark waters and more towering cliffs of rock.

Was this near a Chrysalis? What did one even look like?

His lungs were tight, and Kaiba cursed, wondering if he needed to increase the dosage of the scales. He'd been taking the same amount for the past ten, fifteen, years. Maybe he was building up a tolerance.

Swimming upwards, he broke through the surface of the water and took another deep breath, seeing Mahad standing on a shallow beach, waving at them.

 _Finally,_ Kaiba growled, and he kept his head above water while he shivered and waded through the oncoming waves towards shallow ground. That had been the longest, most agonizing eight-minute swim of his life.

The tip of his shoe brushed against something hard, and Kaiba powered through another large wave before he managed to roll onto the beach, breathless and exhausted.

"You haven't changed," Mahad commented, noting Kaiba's pale, sallow skin which was noticeable through the white dress shirt, which was completely soaked, plastering tightly to his body. The steel cuffs were visible underneath the white fabric, and Mahad swallowed thickly as he eyed them cautiously.

"So, what they say about the cuffs are true," Mahad continued gruffly, fully aware that Kaiba was probably cursing him out in his head, and he was thankful he couldn't hear it. "I knew something was off about you from the moment we met."

"Yeah, you and me…both," Kaiba gasped, curling his fingertips into the sand, still trying to catch his breath. Fuckkkk… why did that swim feel like it nearly killed him, but when he'd been training with Joey and Tristan, he could swim for an entire day and not feel this tired?

"Are you taking the medicine?" Mahad asked sympathetically, and he received a cold, blue-eyed glare in response.

"Where's my kid?" Kaiba demanded, sitting back on his heels and shivering violently from the cold. "Where is this? Where are we?"

He surveyed the shallow inlet with a shrewd eye. It was a private little patch of sand surrounded by towering rocks, and the resounding crash of waves made sure that they couldn't be heard by the road above, which seemed to be miles away.  
The railing that usually lined the edge of a cliff was not visible.  
This seemed to be a little…island? No. It couldn't be.  
They were only eight minutes away from the other shore.

Deciding to piece the map together later using a computer, Kaiba squared his shoulders back and aimed a venomous glare at Mahad.

"She's coming…" Mahad said gently, also sitting down in the sand and crossing his legs. "I've bribed a Guardian to bring her, under the guise that we are moving her to another infirmary for a check-up."

"Whatever," Kaiba said coldly, and he shivered again.  
Damn, it was freezing. Every time the wind blew in his direction, it was like his wet shirt had turned into a sheet of ice, sticking terribly to his skin.

He moved to unbutton his shirt, feeling Mahad's eyes following his every move.

"Yo!" Tristan popped his head up and tapped his spear against the rock. "Someone's coming—strip show, Rich Boy? Hey, show me that Mark Joey always talks about."

"What Mark?" Mahad sharpened instantly, raking his eyes down Kaiba's toned chest and stomach, searching for any signs of a tattoo. "You're from Helios, and if I recall—"

"It's on his neck!" Tristan said energetically, pointing a clawed finger behind his back. "But I've checked Seth. He doesn't have one."

Kaiba's blood ran cold and he gripped his shirt tightly, now deeply regretting ever taking it off. Shit, shit, shit. His fake Mark was going to expose him for being a fake.

"Let's see it," Mahad said coldly, rising up onto his knees. "Show it to me, if you have any honor at all, Seto Kaiba."

"I'll pass," Kaiba said dryly, intentionally hanging his shirt over the back of his neck with a fluid motion. "I don't know what Joey saw, but clearly, he's insane. I don't have a Mark. I hate tattoos."

"L-i-a-r," Tristan sang unhelpfully, waving his spear. "Hey, Mahad, make him show us!"

A muscle jumped in Mahad's cheek while he had a brief staring contest with Kaiba before he held out his tanned hand for a friendly handshake.

"Please, show it to me." Mahad heard his own voice shake uncharacteristically. If Kaiba was an imposter, this was the way to find out. Seth bore no visible marks, so if Kaiba was indeed marked, did this mean they weren't related? The royals of Helios were twins, and merpeople always treated twins exactly the same, unless Seth's parents were unconventional, but they were even given the same names: Seth and Seto, so they had to have matching Marks on their bodies.

"Stay the fuck away from me," Kaiba replied coldly, looking out over the darkening horizon.  
Fucking shit.  
Fuck.  
Fuck.  
He was fucked.  
He didn't even know where the Mark was from. He'd fucking stolen it years ago out of desperation to see Atem. Fuck. It was a stupid, rash decision he'd made when he was younger, and it was fucking him over now.

The air was crushed from his body when Mahad came lunging at him and pinned him cheek-down into the sand. Kaiba grimaced in pain and fury, letting out a yell as he struggled back in vain, but Mahad was sitting directly on the middle of his back, keeping him solidly face-down.

He felt cold hands brushing hair away from the nape of his neck, and he held his breath, listening to the horrible ringing in his ears, waiting to be strangled, or stabbed, scratched, or killed….

"There's nothing here!" Mahad exclaimed, brushing sand away from Kaiba's bare shoulders to get a better look.

"What?! Lemme see," Tristan rolled onto shore and stuck his spear in the sand while he edged towards them on his elbows, and indeed, there was nothing but pale, unmarked skin on the back of Kaiba's neck.

"Wha—but Joey wouldn't lie!" Tristan protested, and Mahad eased off of Kaiba, letting him up.

Hissing in anger, Kaiba brushed the sand off his damp chest, unsure of who he hated more in the moment: Mahad, Tristan, or Joey.

"Did he note the color, or the shape?" Mahad asked, completely ignoring Kaiba, who had taken off the cuffs and was cursing them out fluently in merspeak.

"Yeah, that it was the burned kind," Tristan said, frowning in concentration. "Uh…you know, whatsit called…?"

"A Brand?" Mahad suggested, throwing Kaiba an uncertain side-glance. "Those disappear if he's been healed in a pod. That's the nature of Brands. Invisible, but painful. Did you finally complete your Assignment, Seto Kaiba?"

"I don't know what the fuck either of you are talking about," Kaiba shot back furiously, his cheeks burning with relief. Holy shit. That had been too close…

"I heard that!" Mahad crowed, pointing a clawed finger at the steel cuffs Kaiba had left in the sand, his body shaking with incredulity. "You did, didn't you? They must have trained you at a young age. You even keep up the act when you're amongst comrades! It's no wonder you've managed to fool me!"

"You are not my comrades," Kaiba replied coldly, but he was soundly ignored when Tristan chimed in.

"I know right? Dude, Mahad, this guy… he pretended like he didn't know what _Confinement_ was!"

"Yes, I heard from Joey," Mahad declared, shaking the sand from his robes while he stood. "I've never encountered any other Undercover merman with such strong concealment tactics. I'm praising you, Seto Kaiba."

Kaiba swallowed thinly when both mermen threw him deep, admiring looks, and his skin itched horribly from the sand sticking to it.

"I want to see my kid," he said hoarsely, trying to break the silence. "…And I'm human."

"So am I," Mahad said blithely, turning towards the ocean's horizon to wave at no one in the distance. "The Guardian is here with your child. I'm counting the time now. Tristan, secure the perimeter."

Tristan pulled his spear out of the sand and used it to push himself off the shore and into a shallow wave, disappearing almost instantly.

Kaiba watched this fluidity with rising admiration and heard a telltale splash behind him.

He leapt to his feet and studied the turbulent waters around them, seeing nothing and no one.

Mahad waded out into the water, and Kaiba quickly followed him without a second thought.

"Careful!" Mahad shouted over the roaring wind, and Kaiba froze on the spot, feeling a slimy tentacle curling around his ankle.

His heart leapt into his throat and he glanced down into the dark waters around his legs, seeing a flash of deep red. The head of an octopus grazed the surface of the water briefly before it disappeared again, and Kaiba held his breath, seeing Mahad reach into the water to gently lift out an enormous black egg.

Dizzy with disbelief, Kaiba sank into the water on his knees, feeling another strong wave curl around his waist, but he no longer felt cold. A violent tugging in his chest was consuming him, and Mahad's figure was blurring heavily in his vision as the man walked towards him, holding the egg out to him with both hands, his eyes soft and kind.

"Here she is," Mahad breathed, and the egg was snatched from his hands so fast, Kaiba's nails nearly drew blood across the back of his hand. An odd tightness sat low in his stomach while he watched Kaiba lower his head and sit half-submerged in the water, gently cradling it with practiced ease.

It was a strange sight…but Kaiba's movements were fascinating.  
His thin shoulders were relaxed, and his breathing had evened out.

To Mahad's rising incredulity, the tiny golden veins on the egg's surface seemed to glow in the semi-darkness the moment Kaiba's hand passed over the surface, and he had to look away.

It made his stomach churn in ways he couldn't describe.

 _Holy shit, holy shit,_ Kaiba chanted, unable to piece together a coherent thought as a flood of emotions overtook him. The egg was warm, and soft, unlike the stone egg which Seth had provided. In the past few months, he'd been plagued with nightmares about cracked eggs, and discovered that sleeping with the fake egg beside his pillow helped ease the night terrors.

Now, as he held the real egg to his chest, the wonderful warmth that seeped through his core felt like he was being wrapped a thousand blankets of relief and happiness. He'd been craving closure, and holding baby Noah only did so much to stem the paranoia and heartache.  
This was what he really needed.

He could feel…a heartbeat.

It was so strange.

It wasn't any different from holding Noah when he was wrapped up in all his blankets. They were about the same weight too. No, maybe Noah was a bit heavier because he was a fat, spoiled brat.

"Are you…finished?" Mahad asked gruffly, glancing up at the sky and seeing a half moon rising slowly over their heads.

"No. Fuck you," Kaiba hissed, pressing the bundle of warmth closer to his bare chest, wishing he could melt into the comfort he was currently holding in his arms. "She's mine. You're not taking her anywhere."

He passed his hand over the black membrane and marveled at the way it felt—like human skin. The tiny golden veins on the surface were slightly disturbing, but they glowed happily every time he traced his finger over each one.

She was…talking back, or something.

Biting back tears of relief, Kaiba let out a deep sigh and gazed up at the night sky, counting each twinkling star above his head while the ocean wind ruffled his damp hair across his forehead.

For a moment, everything was right in the world.  
Everything was perfect.  
This felt right.  
He was holding her near to his heart, and they were finally together.

There was also a strangely sweet smell emanating from the egg, and Kaiba took deep, desperate breaths, trying to fill his lungs with the scent. It was calming. He felt like crying and laughing at the same time. He hadn't fucking died while this thing came out of him.

Didn't Atem say something about getting off the hook if they had a kid?  
Well, the kid was here, so where was he?

"Kaiba…" Mahad began, unsure of how to begin addressing the odd thoughts he was hearing. "I don't know what King Atem told you about this child—"

"That she's going to be incubated in one of your hospitals?" Kaiba cut across Mahad, his cheeks burning with rising fury. "That she will be raised in your colony, attend your schools, and learn your ways, because my home isn't good enough for you?"

"I—" Mahad faltered, startled by the sudden onslaught of awareness from Kaiba. "…Yes. Your colony is in ruins, is it not? Will you finally admit—"

"And so what if it is?" Kaiba raged, feeling the egg grow impossibly warm in his arms, mirroring his anger. "It won't stay that way forever. I'm taking her with me."

"No, you can't! She's not stable enough to travel long distances!" Mahad cried hastily, reaching for the egg, but Kaiba jerked away from his grasp, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"So it's nearby?" Kaiba asked demandingly, his heart pounding in his ears. "The Chrysalis is somewhere here? Take me there, or you'll pry her out of my arms over my dead body."

Conflicted, Mahad shuffled his feet in the water and called for Tristan in the back of his mind. He needed back-up now. He had a feeling it would come to this.

"I will protect her with my life, because it is my duty to serve the royal family, no matter the colony," Mahad said stonily, taking a careful step towards Kaiba who was still waist-deep in ocean water. "She's in good hands."

"Right, well, I don't trust you," Kaiba replied icily, his heart burning terribly while the egg throbbed in his arms, and he instinctively dipped it down into the water to keep it submerged.

"I'm bound by a pact to protect royal blood," Mahad said slowly, taking another calculated step towards Kaiba in the water, feeling Tristan hovering nearby. "Hand her to me now, slowly…and let's get her back to safety."

"She's safe here," Kaiba insisted, glaring at Mahad's outstretched hand. "Don't fucking touch me, or I'll fuck you up."

Shrinking his hand back hastily, Mahad gazed nervously at the top of Kaiba's head, wishing desperately that Atem was here to deal with Kaiba.  
Taking an egg from its bearer was an extremely dangerous task.  
An unstable or mourning egg-bearer could spit, claw, or bite at an unsuspecting Medic, and Mahad wasn't ready to fight Kaiba head-on while the egg was out in the open.

The Guardian's cold tentacle curled around his ankle, and Mahad grit his teeth, hearing Tristan send him a questioning thought.

 _So…what're we gonna do? You were right. He's not gonna let it go now…_

"Seto, please," Mahad tried using Kaiba's first name to elicit a friendly response. "You know deep down that she needs to go back into an incubator now. See? You're holding her underwater. You know this…now, hand her to me…. please."

Reaching out slowly with both hands, Mahad bent down to retrieve the egg from Kaiba's arms, an invisible force held him in place. It was as if chains had come snaking from the sky and bound him where he stood. His feet were sinking steadily into the sand as a wave came swirling around his calves, causing him to sink into the ground.

Kaiba raised his head to glare at Mahad, his blood boiling with triumph when he saw the merman freeze awkwardly on the spot, his angular eyes wide with fear.

 _What is happening?!_ Mahad cried, straining to move his arms and legs, but his entire body had been cemented into place. _What is this?_

Even his jaw had been glued shut, and the only thing he could do was blink rapidly at Kaiba, who was staring haughtily at him from the ground.

"You obey the royals no matter the colony. You said it," Kaiba repeated gleefully. "Guess that proves it. I told you to stay the fuck back, and you kept walking forward, clearly disobeying. Nice to know the pacts really do work."

Horrified, Mahad couldn't do anything other than blink to keep his eyes from drying out in the harsh winds.

Such…willpower!  
Even Atem had never commanded him to this extent; it was terrifying to experience.

 _Tristan…!_ Mahad shut his eyes tightly before opening them again. _Go forward with the plan!_

Kaiba's heart skipped a terrified beat when he heard this, and he spun around to fight Tristan, but to his surprise, three large tentacles emerged from the water before him and wrenched his arms apart, causing the egg to slip away, and it disappeared underneath the foamy waves.

He barely saw the flash of another red tentacle curling around the egg to whisk it away through the clouds of sand, and his stomach twisted with indescribable rage and grief.

"No!" Kaiba shouted, and he lunged through the water at the octopus just as Tristan rose out of the water behind him to restrain him, hanging onto his arms so tightly, Kaiba nearly felt his sockets pop as he struggled to escape.

"Fuck you…! Fuck you!" Kaiba spat, aiming his rage back at Mahad, who flinched and stumbled back into the water, landing ungracefully on his ass, causing his white robes to billow out around his body.

"I'm sorry!" Mahad shouted back, his fangs peeking through his lips in a snarl. "Command me to jump off a cliff if it'll help with your anger, why don't you?!"

"Fuck…you!" Kaiba breathed, sagging against Tristan and feeling his entire body burn. His eyes stung terribly with tears, and he did nothing stop them.

Fuck everything.  
Fuck…everything.

His arms were released, and Kaiba blinked, seeing several diamond tears fall with gentle _plinks!_ into the waves rushing around his waist. He instinctively reached out to catch a few and curl them tightly in his fist, barely able to recall Seth's advice about saving his tears for the child.

They were painful memories to show her when she eventually grew up. Proof of suffering, or some bullshit like that.

"Wow…cool," Tristan commented callously, seeing another diamond tear land with a _plomp!_ into the water by Kaiba's thigh. "Hey, can I have one?"

 _Shut up_ , Mahad reprimanded, keeping his gaze fixed intently on Kaiba's shaking shoulders. It was true. All the rumors were true.

Royals from Helios cried tears of pure light.

He'd only ever seen Atem's tears, which were a marvelous blend of colors, shapes, and sizes. This was something entirely different.

They almost looked like water, except…they sparkled with clarity.

"You really are…him," Mahad said gruffly, feeling his ears burn with a mixture of fury and embarrassment. "Come, Tristan. Let's leave."

"Him who?" Tristan asked loudly, and Kaiba grit his teeth so hard, the blood rushed loudly in his ears.

"Read a history book, Tristan," Mahad said, sounding exasperated. "Or talk to Seth. Grab your spear and your pouch with slugs. We must go, quickly now."

Kaiba couldn't bring himself to look up.  
His world was falling apart.  
When could he see his kid again? Another year? Another ten years?! This was fucking bullshit!

"She'll hatch in a few years," Mahad said reassuringly, giving the top of Kaiba's head an awkward nod. "Incubation period is between one to five years."

 _Great,_ Kaiba thought glumly. _Noah will be six by then._

"I will bring her out as much as I am able," Mahad continued, still trying to sound redeemable. The guilt was slowly killing him inside after seeing Kaiba kneeling in the water looking helpless.

 _Great, more lies,_ Kaiba thought depressingly, sinking deeper into the water as another wave came rushing up around him.

"Goodbye, Seto Kaiba. You're a strong man," Mahad said, feeling increasingly more awkward as the silence stretched on. "Tristan?"

"Yep. Bye." The brown-haired merman gave Kaiba a half-hearted salute. "Joey'll come by to visit you sometime, kay?"

Kaiba said nothing and felt his diamond tears burn in the center of his palm.

The wind stung his cheeks and ears as it swirled roughly around his face, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kaiba raised his head, but everyone had vanished. There was only a flat expanse of water before him, melting into a dark night sky.

Alone, again.

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba felt his eyes sting with more tears of frustration, and he blinked rapidly, vowing to himself that he would manage to rebuild the colony with Seth by the time she hatched.

Seth's original estimate about her hatch-time had been wrong. He had said 2 years.  
Today, Mahad had said one to five years.

 _I'll fuck their economy up_ , Kaiba thought furiously, rising to his feet and shivering violently with a mixture of rage and cold. _They won't even know what hit them._

Slowly slipping his wet shirt back on, Kaiba took a deep breath and braced himself for the swim back. He would renew his efforts to search for the elusive Chrysalis, because he was now closer than he had been.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

DD: kaiba finally meets his babyyyyy (is this getting weird? Man, I feel weird writing words like 'he cradled the egg' lmaoooo. Its half-serious, half-heartbreaking. Help.)


	44. Chapter 44

Kaiba rolled out of the water, coughing stiffly as he shivered from the cold, and he cursed under his breath.

Thankfully, he hadn't gotten lost on the way back, because his car was still waiting for him, parked on the asphalt where he'd left it. Anyone driving by on the road seeing him now must think he was a madman for swimming in the middle of winter.

Whatever. It didn't matter.

Teeth chattering and frozen to the core, Kaiba heaved himself onto his feet, dripping wet, and raced towards the car, aching for warmth.

Yanking the car door open, he threw himself inside and jammed the key into the ignition, twisting it with numb fingers as the engine roared to life.

Slamming the door shut, Kaiba blasted the heat from the vents and cursed again, seeing his phone glowing with a notification from Mokuba in the passenger seat. He clenched his jaw and slowly reached for it, knowing he was going to be yelled at for something or other.

" **EMERGENCY!** **CALL ME BACK NOW!** " in all caps was sent ten times in a row, and Kaiba swallowed nervously.

Ah shit. What happened now?

Hitting redial with a shaking finger, he pressed the phone to his ear with a pit of dread sitting low in his stomach.

Mokuba picked up after the first ring, sounding hysterical, "Seto! Where the fuck are you?! No, never mind that! Get to the hospital now! Just when Isono needed you the most, you weren't there! You're the fucking worst—"

"Wait, slow down," Kaiba whispered, his ears ringing terribly as he wondered what fresh horror was happening on Mokuba's end. "I don't understand."

"He…had…a…stroke!" Mokuba hissed through gritted teeth, sounding like he was holding back tears, and Kaiba could hear Ayame's gentle voice in the background.

The ground dropped from underneath him and Kaiba felt himself sink rapidly.  
A thousand tons of bricks were falling from the sky and onto his shoulders, burying him, crushing him, suffocating him….

"Where was he?" Kaiba asked numbly, but Mokuba talked over him, sounding incensed.

"Get here, now! Suite 11." And the phone clicked off in his ear.

Kaiba lowered the phone slowly, his breathing ragged as he stared at the time stamp of the last text Mokuba had sent. Ten minutes ago.

If only he had swam a bit faster…no, if only he had been on land sooner…no, if only he hadn't been pried away from his child…no, no excuses! It was his fault. Everything was his fault.

Shaking and shivering but no longer cold, Kaiba brushed his wet bangs out of his eyes and gripped the steering wheel with so much force his knuckles burned.

He stamped his foot down on the gas pedal, his eyes burning with unshed tears.  
Everything in his life was going to shit, and it was his own, damn fault.

* * *

"Emergency! Emergency!" A yellow octopus zoomed through the pillars of the palace, leaving tiny ink clouds of distress behind it as it went. "Emergency! King Atem, there is an emergency for you!"

Many heads turned to follow the yellow cephalopod, and Shada stopped to stare, wondering if he was seeing things.  
A yellow octopus.  
That meant it was a real medical emergency….

Mana shrieked excitedly and chased the octopus through the halls, nearly slapping Shada across the face with the tips of her fins as she passed.

"Atem! Atem, where are you?! Are you asleep? Wake up!" Mana cried, reaching Atem's door and pounding furiously on it so much, her fist turned red. "Ateeeeem!"

Atem growled angrily, annoyed. He tossed the magazine down onto his bed and floated to the door, slowly unlatching it, seeing Mana and a yellow octopus bobbing up and down excitedly before him.

Yellow…octopus?

His chest tightened strangely, recalling that the last time he'd seen a yellow cephalopod was when it had come by to deliver news of a dead king—which had turned out to be his father.

"She's hatching!" The octopus cried, doing an anxious twirl in the water and accidentally squirting ink in Mana's direction. She swatted it away carelessly and reached forward to grab Atem by the arm, dragging him out of his room and through the hallway, squealing excitedly.

"What…?" Atem reeled, growing lightheaded, and he immediately recoiled when the octopus latched onto his arm and continued to cry, "Emergency! She's hatching!"

"See? Being overcarried makes her a fighter!" Mana said happily, her eyes brimming with tears of relief. "Hatching early! She must be really excited to meet us!"

"It has barely been…a year!" Atem cried, his throat constricting with emotion as he wondered if he was ready.  
He wasn't ready.  
Kaiba wasn't here.  
This wasn't happening.  
This wasn't real.  
This egg wasn't his.  
He didn't deserve to even _see_ this child.  
He didn't _want_ to see this child.  
He wanted to see Kaiba, and he wanted Kaiba to tell him that everything was going to be fine, and that they would finally be together….

"Snap out of it," Mana reprimanded, giving him a firm shake. "I'll send a messenger to all your friends. Joey, Tristan, and the girls. I'll send our fastest messengers! See you in the infirmary! I hope she doesn't hatch on the way down…oooo!"

Mana gave his arm one last squeeze before she bolted away through the water, leaving pearly tears of happiness clinking onto the stone floor behind her.

 _Am I the only one who feels this way?_ Atem thought glumly, wishing he could disappear and hide in his room.

He was accosted by Mahad who was dashing by, and his protector grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him to the far end of the hall for privacy, his angular violent eyes shining strangely with emotion.

"My king, don't look so glum," Mahad said with effort. "You must enjoy this hatching, for Seto Kaiba's sake."

Atem blinked rapidly, feeling an odd pressure building behind his eyes. Wh…at?

Mahad gave Atem a warm hug, feeling the king tense in his arms. He was still being haunted by Kaiba's furious glares and heartbroken tears; it was hard to see the young king acting this depressed about the arrival of his child.

"What do you mean?" Atem asked numbly, wishing Mahad would let him go so he could take a proper look at his face. "Did you manage to sneak the egg out like I asked? You just got back, didn't you?!"

"Yes, I did, and he nearly killed me," Mahad said seriously, pulling away to gaze deeply into Atem's large, violet eyes. "Even you haven't commanded me with such force. I now understand how he manages to steal my most highly trained messengers. He exerts such willpower I've never encountered—"

"What did he say?" Atem demanded, cutting across Mahad's musings. "Tell me everything!"

"Here," Mahad said quietly, uncurling his palm to reveal a tear-shaped diamond in a small, woven pouch. "Is this proof enough for you? They were littered all over the sand right before I left. I had to take it, secretly, because I'm not sure he would've given it to me willingly."

"So you stole from him," Atem said coldly, accepting the pouch from Mahad, dreading what he would see. "Did he ask about me?"

"No, quite the opposite," Mahad said guiltily, recalling all of Kaiba's repeated 'fuck you' insults. "He says he doesn't want her raised in our colony. He was…very angry…to say the least."

"I see," Atem studied Mahad's face, searching for signs of deception, and he found none. "That proves she's not mine. He can have her. I'm going back to my room."

"She _is_ yours," Mahad said instantly, his cheeks reddening with what Atem realized was embarrassment. "She is…ours. The water used in incubation was from our kingdom. She responds well to it, so she is from here."

"Then…he must've mated with someone else from here!" Atem insisted, wondering why he was so against the idea of the egg belonging to him. "I don't—it can't….be…"

"Don't worry. You have the entire kingdom for support," Mahad said warmly, leading him by the arm down the hallway to the infirmary, and Atem opened his mouth to protest, but his voice died in his throat.

It didn't matter if he had the entire ocean's support; he didn't want it.

He wanted to know what Kaiba thought about all of this, and the vicious messengers he kept sending were always so full of expletives, it was hard to decipher what he really wanted.

Swimming in through the doors of the infirmary, Atem saw his entire royal court already floating around an empty incubator, looking excited and apprehensive.

"Congratulations, my king," Isis bowed her head prettily and smiled.  
Atem blinked and stared at her, noticing that everyone was smiling.  
It was a strange sight.  
It felt like eons had gone by since he had seen real smiles sitting on his subject's faces, and Atem's chest tightened with guilt.

He realized that this was what he'd wanted all along.  
He wanted his court and kingdom to be happy with him and his actions.  
Did this mean everything was going according to…plan?  
But perhaps two decades too late, and without the love of his life.

"I'm here, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here!" Anzu cried, swimming through the water so fast, her hair flew behind her ears. "Atem! Oh my gosh! Congrats!"

She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a crushing hug, and Atem patted her shoulder awkwardly, feeling his stomach sink steadily deeper. How could everyone be so happy when…Kaiba's last message to him was _'Fuck you, you're all keeping my kid away from me'_?!

Mai and Joey swam in through the doors, arm in arm, and Joey's face was redder than Atem had ever seen it.

"Nice. A hatching," Joey said, thumping him awkwardly on the back. "I heard they're really gross—"

"Shut…up," Mai sang, throwing Atem's court members a nervous side-glance. "Don't say stupid shit in front of…them."

Shadi met Mai's gaze, and they stared at each other briefly before he looked away first.  
Atem's mermaid friends from Confinement.  
The king sure was unconventional, but then again, weren't all young rulers this carefree with their friends?

Tristan bolted in through the doors, tossing his spear aside on the ground and gasping for breath, "G-Guardian incoming!"

A soft murmur echoed around the infirmary, and the Medic bustled forward, waving everyone out of the way.

"Step aside, move aside, yes you too, Mana," she said anxiously, swatting everyone away from the empty incubator, which sat open and waiting for the egg.

Atem held his breath and felt Anzu grip his arm so hard, his skin burned.  
He had no idea what to expect. The books he'd read couldn't prepare him for what a real hatchling would look like, but if Joey was correct, 'gross' wouldn't even begin to describe it.

A giant, red octopus crawled in through the door, silent and graceful. Mildly terrified, Atem felt himself sweat as he recalled his one encounter with the Keeper. She was incredibly shouty, and almost violent, but this octopus seemed quiet and reserved. How…strange.

A deformed, bulgy egg was tucked under one of it's many tentacles, and Atem watched with bated breath as it was gently set into the leaves of an open membrane pod before it withdrew just as quickly and swam out of the room, leaving everyone in a stunned silence.

The egg did look gross, disgusting even, and its shiny, black outer skin didn't help.  
It was no longer oval shaped, and it looked too lumpy.  
Something sharp was protruding from the side, and Atem had to guess that it was a tiny elbow…or teeth…or something….

"Oh gosh, wow," Anzu murmured beside him, and Atem swallowed thickly, his blood running cold with dread. He couldn't enjoy this. This was absolutely…. horrifying.

"She's moving!" Mana shrieked, grabbing the Medic and shaking her furiously. "What do you think? Teeth first? Fins first? Claws first? What color will her eyes be?"

"Mana…please," Mahad said stiffly, his stomach churning with dread when he briefly imagined a feminine version of Kaiba with long hair emerging from the egg, and the image wasn't hard to see, because Seth had long hair…. _Seth!_

"Did someone send a messenger to Seth?" Mahad gasped, eyeing everyone in the room, and the only person whose eyes he met was Atem's wide-eyed stare.

"Oh, Ahti! No…" Mana whispered, pressing her hands to her mouth.

"Woops, well shit," Joey shrugged, and floated higher above their heads, staring intently at the bulging egg. "I'll go get him. Tristan, wanna come before this thing pops?"

"Yep!" Tristan cried, and he received a glare from Anzu.

"You guys are so immature," Anzu lectured, her ears reddening. "We were all Hatchlings at one point in our lives."

"Yeah and I don't remember it at all, thankfully," Tristan snorted. "Be right back, kay? C'mon Jou."

"No, you're staying here," Mai said coldly, hanging onto Joey's arm, and his cheeks flushed dark pink.

"Men, we can send a messenger—" Mahad began, and he was cut off by the Medic who cried, "Quiet! Everyone, be quiet! I see a hand!"

Sure enough, a tiny hand pressed along the edge of the black membrane, and Atem's heart skipped a solid beat.

"A claws-first baby? I'm scared of her already," Mai said warmly, giving Joey's arm a squeeze. "I was a claws-first baby. I bet you were a fins-first baby."

Joey said nothing. His voice had died in his throat when he saw five, tiny, sharp claws attached to the ends of the smallest fingers he'd ever seen in his life.

"Atem, you were a head-first hatchling," Solomon said proudly, gazing down at the egg with misty eyes. "You jump into everything with calculated passion, don't you?"

Atem said nothing. His heart had stopped beating in his chest when he saw the glimmer of a tail underneath the black membrane, and the tiny merbaby inside began straining against the egg's shell.

"Ooo, look at her go!" Anzu cried, wringing Atem's arm in her grip, and Atem felt nothing, because his entire body had gone numb.

The end of a tail was beating rapidly against the edge of the egg, and Solomon reached a hand longingly out towards it.

"Let's help her—"

"No, don't spoil her before she can even breathe," Mahad held his arm out warningly to restrain the former king. "I can see it already. You're going to be the doting great-grandfather who will give her anything she wants. Let's have some restraint. It's not healthy."

"Claws, then fin…she's a smart one," Mana mused, clapping her hands happily and swimming in rapid circles over everyone's head. "Just like you, right, Atem?"

 _More like Kaiba_ , Joey thought privately, giving Atem a knowing look, but his friend wasn't looking anywhere other than at the egg, with his violet eyes wide with a mixture of fear and incredulity.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of struggling, Atem saw the tips of her claws poke through the thick membrane of the egg, and a thin, greenish liquid began oozing from the tiny five-fingered holes.

"She broke through!" Anzu celebrated, giving Atem another crushing hug, and Atem couldn't do anything other than stare at the thin stream of greenish wisps of mystery-fluid seeping from the egg.

"Very good," the medic praised, looking very relieved. "This will give her some time to slowly adjust to the water out here. I was worried she was going to come out fins-first."

"I'm so proud of you!" Solomon cried, hovering over the egg and hovering his finger too close to the edge of the membrane. "You're a good girl! Are you an intelligent baby? Yes you are!"

"Ugh," Shada rolled his eyes and backed away from the oozing egg. "Right. Now, fetch me when she emerges. I have things to do."

"How long do you think she'll stay like that?" Tristan asked fearfully, his eyes darting to the door and back. "I heard this stage can take, like, several sunlit days."

"It depends on how well she acclimatizes to our water," Mana said bossily, folding her arms across her chest and nodding. "Maybe she'll need Chrysalis water. What do you think, Medic?"

The medic hovered around the deflating egg, frowning. "She's…quite energetic, so I think the water here is fine for now. Warrior Mahad should be on stand-by. He can rush her into shallow water if needed, but since her amitotic fluid was a clear green, that means she can breathe just fine down here."

"Of course she can, because she's my great-granddaughter," Solomon puffed, and it was Isis's turn to roll her eyes.

"Ambassador Shada, we have a meeting, don't we?" She said, giving Atem a polite nod before swimming towards the door.

"Yes, a meeting," Shada sniffed, sounding not at all interested. "My congratulations to you, King Atem."

They floated to the door, and Shadi followed them silently.

"Clearly, they don't care," Mai muttered, glaring after them as they left the infirmary. "They don't even want to see her face—"

"Mai, what happened to shutting up?" Anzu sang delicately, her eyes nailed to Solomon and Mahad.

Atem watched this from afar, feeling as if he was living outside of his own body.

The egg had now completely deflated, and the clear outline of her body could be seen through the membrane.

Faint crying was coming from underneath the thick, blackness, and the Medic rushed forward to gently peel the membrane away from the baby's body.

"Already?!" Mai cried, sounding shocked, and Mana nodded in agreement from above as pearly tears clinked onto the floor around them.

"What happened to _'this can take days'_?!" Joey echoed, giving Tristan a nervous look.

"She was over carried, remember?" Mana whispered, watching the Medic continue to peel membrane away from the baby's body. "We thought she'd hatch in five years, and it's barely been one and a half, so everything has been accelerated! She might age like a human baby for the first few years of her life, at this rate!"

"How wonderful!" Solomon gushed; his eyes nailed to the black sliminess clinging to the edge of a bright blue fin. "I'll live to see her rule over us! Atem, you made a great choice. Look at her fins! What a color!"

Deeply shocked, Atem stared at the tiny merbaby with her fists balled, and her eyes shut tight while her mouth was open in a huge 'O' shape as she hiccupped loudly…looking like she was…suffocating.

"Listen to that," the Medic smiled, waving water over the baby's face with practiced ease. "There you go, Princess. Breathe…. Breathe…"

"She can't breathe?" Joey cried, gripping his hair in distress, and Atem could only look on with horror as the baby's chest heaved up and down, it's tiny face turning slightly purple.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, rich boy was in human form, shit—" Tristan ranted, and he was punched in the stomach by Anzu. Wheezing, he doubled over, coughing loudly. His choking was mirrored by the baby, and her tiny coughs echoed wonderfully through the chamber. The entire room let out a collective sigh of relief.

The Medic cradled the baby and rocked her gently back and forth in her arms as more residual streams of greenish sludge and black membrane floated away around her body, and Atem internally recoiled.

"Here you are," she whispered happily, turning to face Atem. "You must hold her now, so she can bond to you."

Atem wanted to shake his head so badly, but he caught a dark look from Mahad, and he silently agreed.

Holding his arms out shakily, he let the Medic place her against his chest, and an incredible warmth began spreading from the center of his core, slowly warming him up.

"Awwww!" Anzu leaned over Atem's shoulder, smiling happily. "She's pretty! And wow, fangs already? Look at that!"

Terrified, Atem glanced down and saw tiny fangs peeking out from underneath her lips, and he couldn't stop staring at them. A thin sheen of translucent, green scales covered her arms and chest, it was a disturbing sight to see. She had gone quiet, and was now sleeping peacefully in his arms, so Atem was afraid to make any sudden movements that would wake her.

"Did your mate have black hair?" Mana asked curiously, and she pointed to the tiny thin patch of black hair covering the baby's head. "Didn't he have brown hair, like Seth?"

"Babies' hair can change color over time," the medic said, sounding slightly worried. "But from black to brown…I'm not sure…."

Atem swallowed thinly and froze on the spot when he felt the baby move in his arms.  
Mokuba had black hair, and he was Kaiba's kin.  
Was this a bad time to bring it up?

"Go on, talk to her," the Medic encouraged warmly. "She hatched so fast, it's almost as if she wasn't incubated in the Chrysalis for that long!"

Mahad shifted uncomfortably and looked away, wondering if Kaiba touching the egg had done anything to accelerate her hatching time. But thankfully, Atem asked the question for him.

"Do eggs hatch at different rates depending on their parents?" Atem asked cautiously, wanting to avoid the subject of Kaiba ever touching the egg. It would mean the egg had left the Chrysalis without permission….

"Yes, most definitely," the Medic declared softly, gazing down at the baby in Atem's arms. "And again, it does help that she was overcarried naturally. Merpeople don't do that anymore these days, because they would feel sick for decades. The bearer must have been extremely dedicated."

"That's one way of saying it," Joey muttered under his breath, and Tristan began slowly backing away to the door.

"What are these scales on her skin?" Atem asked loudly, hoping to draw attention away from Joey. "Will they come off when she gets older?"

"You had those scales when you were a Hatchling," Solomon said, floating closer to him and bending down to smile into the baby's wrinkled face. "Aren't you a pretty girl?"

Atem's stomach churned uncomfortably, and he felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder, belonging to Mana.

"Can I hold her, please?" She begged, her eyes shining. "Oh gosh, she looks so Pure! Right, Medic?"

"Indeed," the Medic nodded, watching Atem gently hand the baby over to Mana. "The linear pattern of her scales is quite amazing. They came out well, even though the bearer was in human form. Incredible."

"Incredible," Mahad echoed coldly, now itching to leave. "I must send a Messenger to Seth. Please excuse me."

He was ignored, and Mai floated into the space he left, hovering beside Mana's elbow with her blonde hair grazing Atem's cheek as she bent down to give the baby a soft smile.

"She's very pretty," Mai praised. "She'll be the talk of the Kingdom. Let's go, Joey. We'll give them some privacy."

Joey obeyed immediately and hastily spared Atem a nervous glance over his shoulder before floating out the doors with Mai beside him.

Atem's heart sank when he wished he could join his friends outside, so they could openly discuss what they'd just witnessed, but he couldn't leave. The baby was being handed back to him, and the odd warmth enveloped him once more when her bright blue fins curled lovingly around his elbow.

Unable to breathe properly, Atem only managed to stare down at her in his arms, unsure of what to do. Mana kept circling him, whispering excitedly with Anzu and the Medic, while Solomon kept leaning into his face to coo at the baby.

He felt like he was being suffocated, and he desperately wondered what Kaiba was doing now.

* * *

Kaiba sat stiffly at Isono's bedside, hating the cold atmosphere in the room while the heart monitor beeped loudly.

Mokuba was sitting stonily in a chair on the other side of Isono's hospital bed, and Ayame was outside in the hallway, tending to Noah, who was beginning to get fussy.

A ventilator was hooked up to Isono's face, and a horrible hissing sound emitted from it with every rise and fall of his chest. Staring intently at his manservant's folded hands, Kaiba noticed wrinkles and dark spots on them for the first time, and his stomach twisted terribly.

They looked like the hands of an old man. When…did…Isono get so old?  
Had he always been this old?

Lifting his head up to look at Mokuba, he caught another cold glare, so he hastily looked away, thankful that he was wearing the steel cuffs. He wasn't sure if he could deal with the harsh criticisms Mokuba was undoubtedly spouting about him in his head.

The silence stretched on and on, for what seemed like an eternity before a soft knock sounded at the door, and Kaiba curled his fingers over his knees. His pointed nails dug into the wet fabric of his slacks, and he didn't care that he was ripping a hole in his pants.

Entering the room softly, the doctor eased the door shut behind him and bowed deeply to the Kaiba brothers before speaking.

"We're not sure the extent of the damage," the doctor said carefully, keeping his gaze aimed at the patient. "This is unlikely, but…does the patient have a current will? Is there anyone we should call?"

Kaiba grit his teeth so hard, his jaw ached. This was bad.  
The doctor would usually say stuff about recovery if there was hope, but instead, he was asking about end-of-life shit. How bad was it really?

Deciding to stop being a coward, Kaiba slowly rolled up his sleeves to remove the steel cuffs from around his wrists, so he could hear the doctor's thoughts.

"We have power of attorney, and we are his closest living family," Mokuba answered shakily. His black hair was disheveled, and a few strands were coming loose from his usually neat ponytail.

"I see, well…" The doctor continued, and Kaiba winced when both Mokuba's and the doctor's voices streamed into his head rapidly.

 _…My fucking god, can this doctor stop beating around the bush already?!_

 _…tThe patient isn't well. I'm not sure how to say it…_

"Yeah? What does that mean?" Mokuba demanded, folding his arms across his chest haughtily. "Say it directly. We can take it."

 _No, I can't…that would be horrible bedside manner!_ The doctor thought as he paled and stammered incoherently, "Well, you see…"

 _I don't care about this medical mumbo jumbo! He needs to spit it out already. How much time will Isono need to recover?_

 _…The machine is breathing for him, isn't it obvious?  
Goodness, I'm going to hell for this. How do I say it?  
God, help me…I should've asked Takayama-san to come in with me, but I had to decline….  
The older Kaiba is as scary as the rumors say.  
Wait, which one is the older one?  
Long black hair…shit, I should've read the article like Takayama said.  
They look nothing alike._

"Is there brain activity?" Kaiba asked intrusively, aiming his gaze at the doctor and seeing the man bow again and avoid his eyes, his thoughts loud and clear.

 _Yes, very faint, but it's there. But the issue is the patient isn't waking up._

"…So, he's dead," Kaiba said shakily, seeing the doctor's mouth move, but all he could hear were frantic thoughts all jumbled together in his head.

 _WHAT?! How did Seto get 'dead' from that?!_

 _Sharp! Scary! No, not dead, not really. Well, how would we even begin to medically…physically define 'dead'? He is very much alive…heart is beating, irregularly, but it's beating. Brain activity is low, and physically, he is…_

 _Seto couldn't be more callous if he tried! Isono can fucking hear him!_

 _…for an almost eighty-year-old man who lives an active lifestyle, it's almost…._

 _Besides! Isono isn't that old. He's got a good fifteen years left in him! He said he wanted to walk Noah to school in the next few years!_

"I can't be in here," Kaiba stood so quickly, his head swam. "I need air."

Mokuba and the doctor blinked at him, and their thoughts grew louder and more incessant in his head while they both talked at him at the same time.

"Where the heck do you think you're going, Seto? Sit down!"

 _This is the older Kaiba?! What the hell?!_

"Mr. Kaiba, I assure you, all is well if we just follow the recovery plan I have drafted for you here…"

 _I'm going to kill him! I fucking swear, Seto, if you can hear me right now, I said I'm going to kill you…_

Feeling a horrible pressure building behind his eyes, Kaiba escaped the room and dashed down the hall, brushing past Ayame who was standing beside the vending machines.

He ducked into the stairwell and sagged against the wall, seeing tears sliding annoyingly down his face and clinking down onto the steps beneath him. He leaned over the railing and glanced down the curved spiral at the very bottom, half-considering jumping to his death.

F-Fuck! No. He couldn't do stupid shit like that.

What the fuck was happening in his life?

He had forgotten that…so much time had passed.

Sitting down onto the top step, Kaiba hung his head in his hands, staring at the tips of his shoes which still had bits of sand clinging to the sides. His body was still wet from the ocean, and he realized the damp clothes helped keep his skin moist.

 _Stop it!_ Kaiba reprimanded himself, wondering if his mind was going to slowly convert into mer-thoughts if left unchecked.  
Maybe, there was some kind of mer-medicine that could help Isono recover.  
But Seth and Kisara were currently on another shore, probably fucking each other and having fun without him, so his underwater contacts were too far away to be helpful.

He heard a door slam somewhere below, and the patter of footsteps echoed up through the stairwell.

"Daddy! I found a diamond!" A little girl's voice traveled up from the bottom floor, and a man's voice replied gently, "that's somebody else's. Better leave it there in case they come back to look for it."

"But look, I found another one!" The girl cried, sounding elated. "Look, daddy, look! Issa diamond, right? Sparkly!"

Kaiba palmed his face irritably, biting back more tears of anger and frustration that seemed to flow unchecked from his eyes. Fuck…this! Why was it so hard to stop crying once he started? And why were the waterworks happening so frequently now?

Palming the stray gems that slid messily down his face, Kaiba shoved them into his pocket, accidentally seeing a few smaller ones slip through the cracks of his fingers, and they clattered down over the side of the railing, landing on the ground where the girl and her father were still standing.

Shiiiiit.

"Oh, someone is throwing them," the girl commented, and Kaiba decided it was no longer safe inside the stairwell. He stood fluidly and hurried back into the wing, making sure to ease the door shut behind him so that it wouldn't slam.

He passed Ayame by again, and he heard Noah call out to him excitedly. "Papa!"

"No, that's uncle Seto!" Ayame shushed, and Kaiba couldn't bear to turn around, but he could practically see her face reddening in his mind's eye.

"I want Papa!" The child said loudly, and Kaiba rested his hand on the doorknob to Isono's room, barely able to see inside through the blur of his own tears. He shut his eyes tightly and slowly counted to ten, willing himself to pull it together.

"Oh, Seto, I'm so sorry," Ayame whispered, approaching his side and hefting Noah onto the other side of her hip. "It must be hard on you—oh, you're wet! Did you fall into a…pool somewhere?!"

"No, I was caught in the rain on the way here," Kaiba lied evenly, hearing Noah's voice so loudly inside his head, it made his ear's ache.

 _PAPA!_

 _Kid, stop_ , Kaiba thought evenly, making direct eye contact with Noah and seeing the boy's eyes widen ever so slightly, and his face split into a grin.

 _PAPA PAPA papa PAPA papa PAPA! Papa!_

"Since when…could he talk so much?" Kaiba asked through gritted teeth, no longer feeling depressed as another, more welcome feeling overtook him: anger.

"All he says these days is 'Papa'," Ayame said dryly, rolling her eyes. "Sometimes he'll say 'Mama' or blabber, but _'Papa'_ and _'no'_ might be his favorite words right now."

"NO!" Noah shrieked, gripping a fistful of Ayame's black hair and giving it a tug. "Give PAPA!"

"Papa is busy! Stop it!" She admonished, looking deeply embarrassed. "Time to go somewhere else. Want down? Want juice?"

"WANT…PAPA!" Noah yelled so loudly, his voice echoed up and down the hallway and people turned to stare.

"I don't want him in there," Ayame confessed, keeping her eyes downcast. "I don't want him to see…I mean—" _Oh crap. How do I say I don't want him to see an unconscious old man in a hospital bed hooked up to all those tubes?! Poor Isono…Noah might recognize him and call him papa too! God…._

"I'll stay out here with him to keep him quiet," Kaiba said tiredly, holding his hand out instinctively towards Noah's outstretched one, and a chubby fist wrapped around his index finger and tugged happily.

 _Papa, play!_ Noah cried, gurgling his spit. _Not hungry. Play, play, play!_

Kaiba blinked and stared incredulously at the one-year-old.  
Babies could think more than they could talk.  
Scary.

 _Play, play, papa, play? Papa, papa papa, play papa? Papa! Papa…_

"Ugh, he's hungry, I'm sorry," Ayame shifted Noah to her other hip, looking worn out. "We brought some of his favorite snacks in the car. I'll go get them."

"He's bored, not hungry," Kaiba said automatically, and to his rising surprise, the child grinned at him.

"Borr…" Noah repeated, and Kaiba bit the tip of his tongue.  
Shit.  
He'd been cursing at this kid in his head since day one.  
Did this mean Noah inadvertently learned some bad words too?  
Fuck….

"Fuck…" Noah echoed, and Ayame looked absolutely horrified.  
She pressed her hand over the child's mouth, her face beet red.

"Where did you learn that?! No, no, no! I need to have a talk with Mokuba," Ayame said instantly, shoving Noah into Kaiba's arms and knocking firmly on the door. "I know _you_ don't say those things in front of him, so it has to be Mokuba! This is very serious! He must've let him watch TV on the wrong channel or something!"

"Maybe…" Kaiba breathed, his chest oddly tight with a mixture of anxiety and laughter.

 _Down, down, down!_ Noah thought loudly, thumping his tiny fists on Kaiba's shoulder. _Down!_

He watched Ayame disappear inside the hospital room before gently setting Noah down on his feet.

 _YAY!_ Noah celebrated, gripping onto Kaiba's hand so tightly, he began to lose circulation in his fingers. _Fun! Play, papa, play!_

 _We're in a hospital. There's nothing to play with here,_ Kaiba replied coldly, letting Noah cling to his leg and look up at him with shining eyes, so he repeated himself in his head.

 _No playing._

Noah's face contorted and he opened his mouth to wail. "Wa-Wa-WAAAAAAAAAAA—!"

Kaiba sighed and moved to sit on the bench outside the door, setting Noah down beside him, letting him throw the tantrum. Nurses passed by and threw him dirty looks, but Kaiba ignored it.

The kid was being a brat on purpose.

"WA-WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Okay, maybe this was becoming annoying and rude.

"Kid," Kaiba moved to kneel in front of the child, and he rested his hands on Noah's tiny shoulders, gazing deeply into his angular eyes, appreciating how similar he looked to Mokuba. "Listen. I know you can understand me."

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Noah screamed spitefully, keeping one eye open to look at him.

There were no tears. Only volume.

"Do you know who Papa number two is?" Kaiba asked stiffly, feeling ridiculous, but to his surprise, the kid stopped crying and hiccupped at him. He took this as a good sign and pressed on.

"Papa number two is the one who always wears black and reads you stories on Friday nights, you know," Kaiba said warmly, hearing a stray thought from the nurse behind him.

 _…Is this the older Kaiba? So fatherly…. Where is Mokuba Kaiba?_

"Ya," Noah said glumly, kicking his legs on the bench as he continued to writhe in his seat. "Borr. I'm borr. Play!"

"We can't play right now, because Papa Two is…hurt," Kaiba said slowly, wondering if he was ruining the kid, but he really couldn't find any other way to explain it. "Papa One and Mama are inside with the doctor…helping him get better. I'm very sad that he's sick, so I don't want to play right now, okay?"

"…Papa Two, sick?" Noah asked questioningly, tilting his head to the side.

"Yes, and I'm Papa number three, right?" Kaiba said, feeling extremely silly, but it seemed the baby-talk was getting through to Noah. "Now, no more screaming. Use your words to ask for it. If you scream, no one will understand you."

"Want…Papa," Noah said with effort, his cheeks turning red as he tried to clearly restrain himself from yelling. "Give…Papa."

"Which papa?" Kaiba asked kindly, feeling a smile tugging at the corners of his lips against his will. "Papa one, two, or three?"

"Papa one!" Noah cried, kicking his feet irritably on the bench. "Papa one! Give me Papa one!"

"See? Very good," Kaiba praised, gripping Noah's tiny hands in his and giving them a pat. "You asked nicely, now I will go get him."

"Ya," Noah frowned and pouted.

Kaiba rose to his feet with effort and nearly bumped into the nurse coming up behind him.

"Mr. Kaiba? I can watch him out here for you while you head inside…" She said quietly, bowing. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I was watching you from the front desk and it looks like you could use some help."

"NO!" Noah shrieked, raising his voice again, and Kaiba felt the child's hot hand wrap around his fingers and squeeze painfully. "No, papa, no!"

 _No, no, no! Don't like! Don't want! Want Papa! Papa, papa! One!_

"Oh, he hates strangers, doesn't he?" The nurse said sympathetically, nodding at Noah. "Hi, I'm Auntie! I'll play with you until your daddy comes outside!"

"No," Noah said coldly, hanging tightly onto Kaiba's hand. "Mama only."

"Awwww," she gushed, and Kaiba resisted the urge to roll his eyes, because Noah was continually chanting for 'Mama' in his head.

"I'll just call him," Kaiba said stiffly, sliding his phone out of his pocket and waving it. "Thank you for your help."

"Of course, no problem." She blushed and hurried away.

Hitting the redial button, Kaiba pressed the phone to his ear and listened to the rings while Noah continued to tug at his hand, chanting ' _play, play, play,'_ in his head while grinning, showing off his tiny teeth.

Mokuba picked up after three things, sounding tired and angry.

"Just come inside, Seto. Why are you calling me from out in the hallway?"

"I have your kid," Kaiba said stiffly, feeling very odd saying this phrase. "He keeps asking for you. Come out here and make him shut up."

"Shut up, shut up," Noah chanted, and Kaiba threw the child a glare.

"So _you're_ the one teaching him the bad words!" Mokuba cried, his voice raising dangerously. "Ayame, you can't keep blaming me for being uninvolved when Seto is the one who—"

The phone clicked off in his ear and Kaiba blinked, realizing Mokuba had hung up on him again…and that he was having a little spat with Ayame inside the room next to an unconscious Isono.

Was it his fault?

Better not think about it too much.

"Shut up," Noah said staunchly, grinning. "Papa, shut up."

"Yeah, you like saying bad words, don't you," Kaiba threw Noah a wry smile and heard the child laugh delightfully.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

I'm sorry, this was the death chapter.

But it was also the birth chapter.

y…ay..?

let me know your thoughttts!

-Ugli

 _this chapter was edited by: chocolateyeti_


	45. Chapter 45

Atem sat tiredly in one of the beds in the infirmary, cradling the baby and trying to stay awake. He swore she got heavier every time he picked her up to feed her.  
He also found that he couldn't stop marveling at how tiny her fins were.

Solomon had been right. The color of her fins was beautiful. In certain lights, they had warm undertones of dark green, but in clear light of the infirmary baubles, they were a striking, bright blue.

She seemed to have also inherited Kaiba's pale skin…and rotten temperament.

The moment she was hungry, Atem was notified by an octopus and was dragged away from whatever he was currently doing to help feed her, so he couldn't swim out the palace gates for the past few moons because of it.

The worst was when she didn't want to be fed by him.  
She would scream and cry until she wore herself out and finally accepted the bottle begrudgingly. After she'd had her fill, she'd open her mouth and continue to scream loudly, showing off two pearly-white fangs that cut anyone who tried to give her a kiss.

She was also unwilling to stay still.  
Even the Medic was having trouble trimming her claws down, and as a result, Atem was always sporting five-fingered gashes down his chest and neck after every feeding session.

Deep down, he knew he couldn't resent her for being this difficult.  
Deep down, he knew she was acting like this because her father wasn't here—her real father—the bearer, Seto Kaiba.

Everyone seemed to know this, and they put up a kind expression every time she hurt them with her claws, but it happened so frequently, Atem could no longer bring himself to apologize for her actions.

The other nagging issue was her name.  
Everyone was waiting for Atem to announce her name, and Atem was waiting for a reply from the stolen purple messenger he'd sent to Kaiba, but all he'd gotten was silence. The messenger had come back several times, asking if there was another shore to wait on, but Atem was firm, and kept sending the octopus back to Kaiba's Private Rock.  
He couldn't name the baby without Kaiba's input.

To make matters worse, it seemed Seth had also disappeared mysteriously at the same time.

Mahad's messengers would come back, exhausted from the long swim, saying they had failed to deliver the message, or even find the colony!

The baby turned over in his arms and dug her claws into his chest.  
Atem grit his teeth, his heart pounding thickly as he bore through the pain. He recalled offering to swim to Seth's colony again, but he was pulled away by the Medic, who said it was time to practice new feeding techniques for the difficult baby.

Mahad had promised to travel there for him, and after what seemed like an eternity, his protector returned, looking deeply sorrowful.

He'd only been gone two days, and said that the colony had, in fact, disappeared.  
There was no one there except for the giant tombstone, the medic's chambers, and several half-built dwellings which were all empty.

"So they've abandoned this child?" Atem had raged, unable to fathom why Kaiba would even begin to do such a thing, and he was corrected gently by Mahad, "She still has you."

Furious, Atem held her tighter to his chest, trying to stem the feelings of confusion and resentment.

Something wasn't right.

He had been tempted to send out search pods to hunt Seth down, but Mahad reminded him to be realistic.

The ocean was deep and vast.  
If royals from a lost colony wanted to hide, they would be invisible and impossible to find.  
It would also be a bad use of their resources.  
Thinning their army down for search pods for seemingly no reason wouldn't be well-received by the kingdom. It would also mean that Joey and Tristan would be leading a few of these pods, and Atem didn't want to part with his friends anymore than he already had to.

Closing his eyes tiredly, Atem sagged against the pillows, trying to keep his spirits up, but it was hard.

He didn't want to be left single-parenting the new princess, and to-be-queen! The stigma against men abandoning their eggs for being 'slimy shore-lovers' was constant, and Atem was sure the rumors about the princess' other father were already spreading far and wide.

Perhaps that was why Seth had disappeared—to avoid backlash for Seto's actions.

He couldn't do this alone!  
Didn't Kaiba know that?!  
Where…the hell was he?!

* * *

Kaiba was standing stonily by Isono's bed, with Mokuba flanking the other side, while the doctor spoke slowly and clearly about the process of shutting off the ventilation machine.

Isono had been unconscious for the past four months now, and his condition wasn't getting better.

They had to take him off of it.

Their household had also been suffering from the lack of his presence, and it was showing greatly.

Mokuba was wearing a shirt that clearly needed to be ironed, and Ayame had stopped putting on makeup in the mornings to save time.

Noah was the only family member who looked even remotely put-together, but he would dirty himself with drool or food at every meal and would wear the stains proudly until someone had time to change him.

Kaiba stared at the doctor's mouth, which was moving, but all he could hear was a dull buzzing in his ears. He was remembering something else that he'd witnessed in the house. The other butlers and maids were floundering, cleaning the same rooms twice because they lacked Isono's instruction, and Kaiba had tried to figure out where the old man kept the cleaning schedule before he realized…it had been inside Isono's head all this time.

Isono never wrote anything down. It was all verbal.

That would explain the giant stack of dry-cleaning still hanging behind Mokuba's door. No one thought to ever put it away for him, because Isono always did that.

"Mr. Kaiba? Do we have any questions?" The doctor nodded politely at him, and a couple of nurses stood respectfully by the door for their privacy.

"Can we have...a few moments?" Mokuba choked, and the doctor nodded. He turned and headed for the door.

Kaiba watched him go, feeling Mokuba grab his arm and speak, but he couldn't hear it, because he was remembering something else.

It was Seth.

He had called every week, from a different shore, sounding proud and ecstatic. Kisara would usually be in the background, chiming in happily and texting him pictures of her travels.

The lipsticks were selling extremely well.  
They had more than enough money, but now, they needed to build a treasury to keep it all safe.  
Also, everyone, including the Medic, had moved out of the colony in Seth's absence, thinking that, given his frequent travel, he had abandoned them at last.

Their colony was non-existent now.  
They had no one who wanted to live there, and no one wanted to move back because of the bad atmosphere of death and destruction. Even though the debris had been cleaned, it was still a place that held bad memories for people who lived through the war underwater.

"Seto!" Mokuba kicked his shin so hard, his eyes watered in pain. "I'm asking you a fucking question! What the hell!"

"Say it again," Kaiba said numbly, staring at Isono and wishing he could see his face without the oxygen mask covering more than half of it.

"I _said_ he might wake up if he gets unhooked, but…they say he won't last two hours off of it," Mokuba said shakily. "Do you believe that? I mean, I just heard them talking about it when I walked by their break room. Do we take that risk? He's practically our dad, Seto. I can't…deal with this right now, so can you please focus?!"

Kaiba blinked, willing his eyes to stay dry.

Yes, he was focusing. Maybe a little too much on everything all at once.

"Did you know Noah can read?" Kaiba asked quietly, and Mokuba stared tearfully at him, with dark circles hugging his under eyes.

"I know he can drool all over the book," Mokuba replied plainly. "And that Isono reads to him every Friday. I've been doing that in his place, so yeah, I know he can understand me when I read."

"No, he can read in his head, like…really fast," Kaiba said anxiously, recalling how disturbed he'd felt when he heard Noah reading rapidly in his thoughts. "You should get him books that are harder."

Mokuba's eyes shone with tears, and he pointed furiously at Isono in the bed, his voice barely audible over the hissing breaths of the ventilator as he raged, "I'm…asking you…what we should do…about Isono! Shut up about Noah for five seconds, won't you?!"

"We unhook him," Kaiba said shakily, unable to bring himself to look at the bed. "He wouldn't want to be like this. He wouldn't want Noah to see him like this. We unhook him."

There was a long silence, and Mokuba folded his arms across his chest, looking torn.

"Then what do we tell Noah?" Mokuba cried anxiously. "He keeps asking for 'Papa Two' to read to him!"

"This is a teaching moment," Kaiba said plainly, unable to believe the words dropping from his lips. "Teach him about death."

"He's… _one!_ " Mokuba growled, and a tear rolled down his cheek before he quickly brushed it away. "That'll fuck him up."

"He's smarter than you think," Kaiba said, trying to sound reassuring. "He'll get it if you tell him in baby-talk."

"You are insane!" Mokuba hissed, his cheeks reddening with fury. "You know, Ayame and I were talking about how maybe you should spend less time with him, given how he's learning f-words from you! And she thinks I'm uninvolved, saying that's why Noah keeps calling _you_ 'Papa One' instead!

"You don't come home from work before 11PM sometimes," Kaiba added, not sure why he was fanning the fire. "He goes to bed at 7 or 8. You know that."

"Yeah, because we can all just sit back and live on the money you made us when you were twenty, right?" Mokuba breathed, trying to stay composed, but he was slipping into a rant. "I'm trying to set a good example for him, and everything _you do_ , even if it's _wrong_ , somehow always gets attention! I work just as hard as you, so why am I being punished for it?!"

"Are you seriously asking for validation right now?" Kaiba said incredulously, wondering why they were having such a childish argument and if…Isono could hear them bickering. "You _could_ just sit back on the wealth _we've had_ _since the beginning_. Why don't you do that and be _'more involved'_? People aren't going to stop buying cosmetics any time soon."

"I _am_ involved," Mokuba said stiffly, folding his arms across his chest. "And I just said I wanted to set a good example. I grew up seeing you work hard, so I want him to see it that too, otherwise, he _will_ be a spoiled, lazy, brat!"

"He's going to be bratty and lazy no matter what," Kaiba said vaguely, thinking he saw Isono's finger twitch. "Look at the way you both treat him. _'Want snack'_ every five seconds? He'll sooner be fat than lazy."

"…Seto…" Mokuba growled, curling his fists at his sides. "…You're unbelievable. Also, why are you spending several million yen every _week?_ On _lipstick_?! Do I need to set a budget for you? At this rate, your savings will be gone! I can see your accounts too, you know! The lab called me asking to verify another batch. What the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm converting currency," Kaiba replied evenly, seeing Isono's finger twitch again. "Keep yelling at me. It's working."

"What?" Mokuba glanced down at Isono and at the heart monitor, listening to the steady beeps. "I'm not falling for that. I'm not an idiot. He didn't move. Now tell me what currency, and why I'm not seeing it reappear in your accounts?!"

"Mer-currency," Kaiba said, his eyes gleaming, and he saw Mokuba give him a slack-jawed glare.

"You're investing money in the mermaid economy?" Mokuba asked stiffly, folding his arms across his chest. "Are we going to see any return?"

"Nope. It's my money. I do what I want with it," Kaiba replied viciously, fully aware that he was indeed making himself a poor man on land just so he could have riches underwater…for the baby girl.

He'd be damned if Atem and his kingdom was going to raise her a million miles away from the sun.  
Sun was healthy, and if Atem's people were this surface-adverse, he had a feeling he might just have to build a mer-army just to get his child back.  
It was barbaric, but it was Plan F.  
Plans A through E were full of violence and warships, and Kaiba realized he would end up putting himself on the same level as Gozaburo, so he had to stop thinking about it.

"Well, don't bankrupt yourself… _again_ ," Mokuba said tiredly, pulling up and chair and sitting down with a sigh. "See? And this is why I can't stop working. You spend money as fast as I earn it. At this rate, we'll only have _just enough_ to send Noah abroad every year until college."

"Listen to yourself," Kaiba scoffed, pulling up another chair and sitting gracefully down beside his brother. "Why does Noah need to be away from home that much? Now _that_ will fuck him up. Keep him in Japan. He'll tell you if he wants to go abroad."

"I hate budgeting down," Mokuba grumbled, sounding like his old bratty self again. "It means I'll have to think of more creative presents to give her, and she's perfectly happy with a new car every year, so I don't want to change that."

"Oh, the horror," Kaiba said sarcastically. "I think she'd rather you read Noah to bed three times a week instead of one."

"You think?" Mokuba asked uncertainly, and he saw Isono's finger twitch. "Seto! Look, he moved! He can hear us, can't he? Isono! Isono?!"

"Let's call the doctor," Kaiba suggested, daring to feel a spark of hope, but deep down…he had a bad feeling.

"Yeah, let's!" Mokuba leapt to his feet and raced out of the room, leaving Kaiba sitting alone beside Isono.

 _Seto…._

There was a long silence, and Kaiba stared straight ahead at the painting of a meadow on the wall, trying to tune out the irregular beeping of the heart monitor beside the bed.

 _Seto…don't…ignore me… Seto…_

Kaiba blinked rapidly and gazed around the room before he nervously eyed Isono, seeing the old man's eyelids flutter, and his stomach did a churning somersault.

 _Don't fight with your brother,_ Isono said quietly, sounding very coherent and much like his old self, but his physical body remained motionless aside from the odd twitch here and there. _He's trying his best, and you know that._

"Can you talk?" Kaiba asked nervously, feeling himself grow cold all over, and he saw Isono's finger twitch again.

 _I'm talking now, aren't I?_ His manservant said, sounding oddly cheerful, but the crushing silence coupled with the beeping of the heart monitor made Kaiba's heart sink even further.

"How do you feel?" Kaiba asked evenly, trying to keep his voice from shaking, but it was hard.

 _Like...death_ , the old man joked, and Kaiba grit his teeth in annoyance.

 _I hear everyone talking, and I know it doesn't look good for me,_ Isono said, still sounding horribly cheerful. _I've tried communicating. I've been waiting for you to come close enough to hear me. It's comforting…knowing you can hear me. This mind-reading invention you have…is truly…fascinating, Master Kaiba. I feel very comforted._

There was another stifling silence.

"I'm…can't believe I wasn't there when you…" Kaiba felt his throat closing up, and his eyes stung painfully. "I'm an asshole. I'm s—" His voice died, and he wondered if he was about to say sorry for _only_ being an asshole, when he had been everything else too: selfish, callous, rude, uncaring, a horrible example of a human being…etc.

 _Oh, look at you, apologizing! Finally!_ Isono said gleefully, sounding like he was holding back laughter. _You haven't changed a bit, you know, Master Kaiba. I got old and grey, and Mokuba has stress lines on his forehead, but you—you stayed exactly the same. I always knew you were different, Master Kaiba, which is why I've always enjoyed my time with you_.

"Stop it. Shut up," Kaiba mumbled, hating the end-of-life good-bye speech streaming from his unconscious manservant on the bed.

 _Are you sure that's how you want to talk to me now?_ Isono asked kindly, almost sounding like he was enjoying this a little bit. _I can't move my arms and legs, and you're telling me to shut up. How does this look to others? Another thing you don't care for—what other's think of you._

Kaiba set his jaw and said nothing, feeling tears building horribly behind his eyes. Fuck.

"Keep lecturing me. I'm going to walk away," Kaiba said stiffly, forcing himself to stand, and he heard Isono chuckle, causing his stomach to curl painfully.

There was as soft knock at the door, and Mokuba stepped inside excitedly with the doctor close behind him, looking grave.

"I saw him moving his finger," Mokuba said happily, nodding at Seto who was standing awkwardly beside Isono, looking stressed. "What, Seto? Lighten up. He'll wake up when we unhook it."

 _Doubtful,_ the doctor's thought seeped into his brain and Kaiba swallowed thinly.

 _It might be painful_ , Isono thought mildly, sounding far away. _But I haven't been in pain yet. Oh, is there medication hanging there? I already feel so tired. I'm so sorry, Mokuba, I feel like taking a nap…._

"Will it be…painful?" Kaiba asked, clenching his fists at his sides to keep himself together. "He's conscious, but he can't move."

"Yes, we determined that with the scan, and we did discuss this." The doctor said, sounding slightly exasperated. "There was too much…brain damage. He might not ever fully regain control of his…body, even with intensive rehabilitation, someone his age…."

 _You see, Master Kaiba? It doesn't look good for me_ , Isono said blithely, and Kaiba couldn't help himself. He turned to the unconscious body on the bed, snapping, "shut up. Why do you sound so happy? You're about to die."

Horrified, Mokuba and the doctor stared at Kaiba, and the heart rate on the monitor sped up a couple beats before slowing down again.

"Did he just…did you just…" Mokuba gasped, the color draining from his face. "Are you _talking_ to him?! Is he talking back to you?! Like, in your head?! How are you doing it? Show me the device! You're kept it hidden long enough, Seto!"

"Perhaps you both need some more time," the doctor said hastily, edging towards the door, but his eyes were nailed to the older Kaiba, waiting to hear an answer.

 _Boys, no fighting at my deathbed_ , Isono said stiffly, and Kaiba ground his teeth furiously.

Maybe it was the drugs that was making Isono sound this carefree, or maybe this was the blitheness that came with acceptance about death. Either way, it was heartbreaking and extremely annoying.

"Isono, what's he saying?" Mokuba cried, rushing to the manservant's bed and leaning over his face. "Someone say something!"

 _I'll speak_ , Isono said warmly, and Kaiba felt something wet streaming down the side of his leg, and he realized he had dug his claws into the palm of his hand, drawing a stream of blood.

 _Take care of your wife, Mokuba, and don't let Noah eat too many of those chocolate crackers_ , Isono said, and Kaiba wondered if he was supposed to be repeating this aloud. _Master Kaiba, tell him!_

"What? What!" Mokuba narrowed his eyes, seeing Isono's eyelids flutter madly while Seto's face darkened. "What's he saying?!"

The doctor backed against the door but didn't leave, holding his breath and watching the strange scene before him.

"He said take care of your wife and don't let Noah eat too much chocolate," Kaiba repeated, his mouth going horribly dry when the color drained from Mokuba's face.

 _Good_ , Isono said huffily, sounding like he was yawning. _I'm very sleepy. Now, I don't want to see you two fighting about whose fault this is, do you hear me?_

"And what?!" Mokuba cried, his cheeks wet with tears. "Stop it, Seto. This isn't a joke. This isn't funny."

"He said…he's sleepy," Kaiba breathed, wondering how his voice still worked when it felt like all the air was being crushed from his lungs. "And that he doesn't want to see us fighting, or blaming each other for this."

There was a long silence, and Kaiba glanced down at Isono, expecting to hear a response along the lines of, ' _thank you, Master Kaiba'_ , but all he could hear was an odd buzzing in his ears…which he realized was the heart monitor flat-lining beside the bed.

Mokuba drew in a deep, shaky breath and burst into silent tears.

The doctor blinked and scratched his head, wondering what he ought to do.

Seto Kaiba was standing emotionlessly over the patient while Mokuba Kaiba sank to the floor beside the bed and rested his forehead against it with his shoulders shaking with grief.

The doctor paled and pressed himself flat against the door, wishing he was invisible.

This was…a private moment, and he was supposed to have been out of the room, but somehow…he had missed his chance and witnessed something incredibly strange.

Seto Kaiba could communicate with comatic patients? With something he'd invented? A device?

 _Go away._

A cold voice echoed inside his head, and the doctor whipped his head around, wondering if he was going insane.

 _I said, leave._ _Come back in fifteen minutes,_ Kaiba thought coldly at the doctor, seeing the man nearly wet himself as he scrambled for the doorknob and tripped out of the room.

Mokuba's quiet sobs were echoing through the room, and Kaiba slowly sat back down, feeling himself grow hot and then cold all over.

He hung his head over the edge of the bed and held his breath tightly before letting himself cry in earnest, feeling the tears streaming down his face and landing all over Isono's sheets.

* * *

Seth floated through the marketplace with empty seaweed sacks over his shoulder, smiling triumphantly to himself. He had successfully sold out. Another wonderful day—

A hot, searing pang of sorrow shot through his core, and he froze on the spot, wondering if Seto was in pain.

These ghostly feelings had disappeared over the decades as he'd gotten older, but having been recently reunited with his long-lost twin, the connection seemed to have strengthened again. He used to feel pangs of pain all the time when Seto had been deployed on land, and it was only now that he was reminded of how much mourning he'd gone through.

 _He's in pain_ , Seth thought darkly, swimming faster through the marketplace, intent on surfacing to deliver news to Kisara, and then swim back home.

He passed a group of women huddled together, testing out their new lipsticks on each other's faces, and he heard something that made his stomach drop.

"The Princess of Muran is without a Bearer. I keep hearing people say he's a shore-loving Undercover merman!"

"What did you say?!" Seth cried, spinning around to barge into their social circle, and the women backed away, their faces pale with shock.

"What? Nothing!" The woman closest to him snapped, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "It's merely gossip. Go home, Merchant. No one here wants to mate with you."

"I have family on shore, and he's Undercover," Seth glowered darkly, and the women gave him disdainful looks. "Don't say such things about people you don't know."

"I see how it is," the woman farthest from him said, her lips painted a dark red. "You are also a human-lover. Go away then."

"You said 'the Princess of Muran'," Seth repeated, feeling his patience slipping away. "She hasn't hatched yet, so don't speak such disrespectful words—"

"Seems someone isn't with the times," the woman closest to him said, rolling her eyes. "She hatched nearly three moons ago! You don't know this because you were probably on shore, being a shore-lover! Begone, Merchant, or we'll never consider buying from you again!"

Seth's breath hitched painfully in his chest, and he turned to swim away without another glance behind him.

The princess had hatched! This meant he had missed it! And it had been three moons ago? Did Seto know this?! Perhaps this explained the pang of sorrow.

 _I'm coming up, Seto_ , Seth thought angrily, powering upwards through the water and wondering how he could even begin to break the news to his twin brother.

She had come early, which meant she was incredibly strong-willed.  
They had a five-year re-building plan based on her hatching time.  
Here, they had just barely started. Sure, they had riches now, but the colony was non-existent!

Sighing to himself, Seth continued to swim upwards, his shoulders growing heavy with dread.

Nothing was going according to plan.

* * *

Kaiba sat glumly on the couch in the spacious living room, feeling oddly alone even though Mokuba was sitting directly across from him. Isono was gone, and that was hard to accept.

His brother had a stack of books in his lap, and Kaiba eyed them apprehensively. He had a feeling he was about to be lectured, because Mokuba's thoughts all sounded accusatory.

 _Seto keeps zoning out. I get that he's sad, but we need to talk about this._

"Okay, what is it?" Kaiba asked dully, feeling as if a grey haze had settled over his entire being. "Hurry up. I don't have all day."

Mokuba said nothing and thunked the books down on the glass coffee table before him, flipping each one open to a marked page.

Kaiba spared them a glance and realized with a jolt that they were photo albums.

What, were they going to take a trip down memory lane just because the old manservant had croaked?

"Remember this?" Mokuba asked stiffly, pointing at a photo stuck underneath the plastic sheet. "How old was I here? 11? 12?"

Kaiba blinked and looked away, not bothering to look at the photo. He didn't care. Could Mokuba just say what he had to say and then leave?

"Look at the damn book, Seto," Mokuba snapped, pushing the album towards him. "We were at the beach… _before_ all the mermaid nonsense."

Now slightly intrigued, Kaiba leaned half-heartedly to take a look, noting his own smiling face grinning beside Mokuba in the sand. His arm was slightly in the shot while he held the camera up to take the photo.

Cute…maybe?

"I was 11 here, so you were 21," Mokuba said stiffly, closing the book and reaching for another one he had open. "Now, this one…I'm 14, and you're 24. This was during the mermaid nonsense. Look. You look sick."

"Thanks," Kaiba said sarcastically, wishing Mokuba would get to the point already. "I'm really not interested in walking down memory lane right now."

"This is me, the day I passed my highschool entrance exams," Mokuba continued, ignoring him and pointing at the photo. "Look, you, and me. And Isono, taking the picture."

Kaiba ground his teeth furiously and said nothing.

"Okay, next, college," Mokuba closed the album and pulled a third one from the stack. "This is us at the airport before I left for my one year abroad. Remember that? Maybe not. This was when you were clearly on drugs. Look at how thin and grey-looking you are here. I can't believe I couldn't see it at the time, but now, looking back, I realize how blind I was."

"They were not drugs—" Kaiba began angrily, but Mokuba talked over him, flipping the album open to another page.

This one was decorated nicely with stickers and hearts.

"This was when…we went to a resort together," Mokuba continued. "Maybe you remember this. You chased that blond flunkie down on the beach and stabbed him in the leg with an antihistamine."

Now Kaiba was interested.  
He pulled the album closer and saw a newspaper clipping preserved underneath the plastic beside a photo of Ayame in a bikini, hugging a shirtless, grinning Mokuba.

The newspaper clipping read, " _Japanese billionaire, Seto Kaiba, saves a life while on vacation with his family_ …" and a photo of Joey bent over on the beach was blurred because he was naked, but the image of himself standing above the merman holding a syringe in his fist, was crisp and clear.

"Next, comes the embarrassing phase of our family," Mokuba growled, slamming the album shut and reaching for the fourth one. "According to my wife, most of these are ' _hilarious paparazzi shots_ ', or _'kindhearted, but greatly misunderstood articles written by gossip magazines'_ phase. This was before I learned how to do better PR and you were running around being a nutcase in public."

"I—" Kaiba's breath left his lungs and he wondered why he was being punished right now. Isono had just passed away not 5 hours ago, and he couldn't catch a break!

"CEO of Kaiba Corp, a.k.a Kaiba Cosmetics, spotted hanging out with two college drop-outs at a bookstore," Mokuba read loudly, unwilling to show the page on the table. "Next is, 'Mokuba Kaiba, rising star of the Kaiba family,' question mark, 'Will he be the new face of the company run by the elusive madman behind the brilliant, anti-aging serum,' question mark."

"What is the point of this?" Kaiba demanded, reaching for the book, but Mokuba turned the page and continued to read stubbornly, "Mokuba Kaiba, all grown up as the face of MQ. Seto Kaiba, predator or kind-hearted mogul, question mark."

Kaiba pressed a hand to his face.  
He didn't know people thought he was being predatory by hanging out with Joey and Tristan. What the fuck.  
Mokuba was still reading.

"…Mokuba Kaiba, on growth and marriage. Seto Kaiba, caught speeding on highway cameras and then leaving his supercar parked on the side of the road, nearly causing an accident. Mokuba Kaiba, interviews his wife on child-rearing and pregnancy. Seto Kaiba, found skinny dipping in—"

"Alright! You think I'm an embarrassment! I get it. I fucking get it," Kaiba fumed, trying to snatch at the album again, but Mokuba wasn't finished.

"…In the ocean at night. Mokuba Kaiba declares an expansion of the company to include eyeshadows, lipstick, and body creams. Seto Kaiba, seen drunk and vomiting on the side of the road outside an upscale restaurant downtown. Mokuba Kaiba, on dating, love, and sex after marriage. Seto Kaiba, mystery marriage, question mark. Seto Kaiba seen driving around an older lady with pure white hair, fiancé, question mark. Mokuba Kaiba shares exclusive photos of his newborn son, Noah."

Mokuba shut the album with finality and shot Seto an exasperated look.

"If you're expecting me to apologize, don't," Kaiba said coldly, crossing his arms and legs stiffly. "Keep dissing me. Go ahead. Read that last album you brought."

"I came here, to show you the pictures," Mokuba said quietly, reaching for the last album and prying it open to the first page. "So here are photos from our wedding, and Noah's first everything."

The photo album thunked heavily down on the table and Kaiba saw a picture of himself, sitting at the table in the mansion, holding Noah on his knee with a piece of cake in front of them. Ayame was glowing beside him, looking slightly puffy from all the baby weight, and Mokuba was at his other side, smiling handsomely with his hand trapped in Noah's death grip.

"Nice family shot, right?" Mokuba beamed, his eyes softening at the corners. "Ayame looks super pretty here."

"Uh huh," Kaiba said noncommittally, beginning to get bored again. "Turn the page. Did you get the one where Noah dipped his finger into my coffee and then licked it—"

"Hang on, Seto, look at this," Mokuba dragged the first album over the table and pointed at the photo of them on the beach and placed it beside the family picture. "Spot the difference."

"We're wearing shirts, and you have a wife and kid," Kaiba said dryly, rolling his eyes. "Turn the page."

"No, you idiot! Look at our faces," Mokuba snapped, pointing at his own face. "I'm kind of chubby here. Look at me now."

"Yes, you grew up and got skinny. Wow, amazing," Kaiba couldn't keep the sarcasm from leaking into his voice.

"Sure, and you? You look exactly the same," Mokuba said darkly, pushing the Noah album aside and flipping the other ones to their marked pages. "In…every…single one of these, you haven't…aged."

The entire coffee table was covered with open albums, and Kaiba blinked slowly, staring at the collection of photos of himself gleaming under the plastic. Some of them were decorated with hearts and words with Ayame's handwriting. The earlier ones were blank, and merely shoved into the slot with no décor.

Mokuba slipped a photo out from his high school graduation and pulled a photo from Noah's album of Seto sitting in the car beside the baby.

"These two pictures look like they were taken at the exact same time," Mokuba said slowly, propping his hand up on his chin and looking thoughtful. "At first, Ayame said, 'wow, did your brother get plastic surgery?' And then I thought about it some more. _Did_ you get plastic surgery? Even plastic surgery can't make you look this ageless. There's a twenty-five, almost thirty-year difference here."

Kaiba swallowed thinly, feeling a familiar sense of dread tricking through him, and he wondered why he felt this way. There was a tight knot of fear curling in his stomach.  
It was making him want to jump to his feet and run from the room, and never stop running.  
Alarm bells were going off in his head.  
He had been caught.  
But…caught doing what?  
Living his life?

"Did you discover something about aging when fiddling with the serum?" Mokuba asked perceptively, and Kaiba swallowed so thickly, his throat burned.

"It's vitamins," he said, hoping his voice didn't shake, but Mokuba wasn't convinced.

"How old are you, Seto?" Mokuba asked evenly, and Kaiba opened his mouth to reply '24' before he stopped himself.

He wasn't quite sure.  
Maybe it was 34.  
Better add ten years just to be safe.

44.

"You don't know?!" Mokuba cried incredulously, leaning back into the cushions with his arms folded. "The drugs fuck you up that bad, or is it something else? Mermaid vitamins?!"

"I'm 44," Kaiba said quickly, and Mokuba gave him a withering look.

"It took you two minutes to come up with that," Mokuba said tiredly, shaking his head. "I've been thinking, Seto, you keep acting like you're twenty, maybe because…you _are_ twenty. You've been twenty my entire life! That would explain why you're so embarrassing."

"I might…be a fish," Kaiba said hastily, gripping his knees tightly and feeling his ears burn at the sudden confession. "I've been experiencing symptoms, and I've been self-administering medicine they give me. Do you remember our parents, Mokuba?"

"No?" Mokuba frowned, uncrossing his arms slowly. "All I remember is crying a lot into the sheets at the orphanage before you tricked Gozauro into adopting us."

"Yeah, how did I manage to do that?" Kaiba asked faintly, wondering if there weren't other forces at work, pairing him up with that madman. "Was it just a game of chess?"

"What do you mean? Yeah, it was," Mokuba said, starting to sound anxious. "Don't tell me you're forgetting stuff about our past too. Man, you're a great example to Noah. I'll just tell him 'don't do drugs or you'll turn out like Uncle Seto.'"

"No, I mean, _how_ did I force him into it?" Kaiba asked angrily, his head spinning as he tried to recall anything about his interaction with Gozaburo. "Otherwise, why would a monster like him want two little kids like us?"

"So he could…do…bad things to us?" Mokuba whispered, raising his eyebrows and eyeing Seto carefully, wondering if his brother was experiencing a nervous breakdown. "Are you…okay, Seto? Let's not talk about this anymore."

 _Take us with you_!

Seto blinked and saw the younger version of himself in his mind's eye, throwing his arms out to block the doorway of the orphanage, his body burning with a strange fire as he glared at the fat beady-eyed man towering above him.

 _These rats are disgusting…_

Seto bit back a gasp and remembered…back then, he could _hear_ Gozaburo's thoughts.  
Was that how he'd beaten that evil man? Mind reading?

 _You'll let us live with you if I beat you in a game of chess_! The young version of him was determined, for some reason, to go home with this monster, fully aware that he was a monster. Why?

 _Piece of cake!_ The fat man had agreed readily, but only for appearances, because cameras were nearby to take photos of him being "charitable".

Seto then remembered grabbing Gozaburo by the arm and nearly dragging him to sit down in the chair in front of a chessboard, mistakenly drawing blood when he gripped his arm too hard.

 _You little brat! Look what you did!_ The old man's face reddened with anger as he pointed at the crescent-shaped pinpricks on the back of his hand. _Apologize!_

 _I will, only after you promise to adopt me and my little brother…when you lose to me in a game of chess!_ Kaiba's head spun and he pressed a hand to his temple, feeling an awful headache coming on.

 _Alright, you little…boy. I will adopt you, only_ if _you can beat me in a game of ches_ s, the old man leered.

 _And Mokuba_ , Kaiba remembered adding viciously with a nod, and the old man nodded too, his mind filled with vile thoughts about betrayal as he repeated, _"yes, and Mokuba too. Now, play chess. Hurry, I'm a busy man."_

 _I…forced him into it with a blood pact?!_ Kaiba reeled, feeling a familiar wave of nausea rise inside his stomach. Mokuba's voice was far, far away, calling out to him frantically.

"Seto! Are you gonna faint? Seto?! Do I need to call a doctor?! Seto!"

 _Then did he die because he tried to disown me?!_ Kaiba continued to reel, shutting his eyes and rocking back and forth in his seat.

Yes.  
The crazy old loon had jumped out the window to his death, after they had a fight about…money, or how to manage the company. Something was said during the fight that triggered him to smash the window with a chair and….

"So, I was right. I did kill him," Kaiba whispered, cracking his eyes open slowly when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

Mokuba's worried face swam into his view.

"You didn't kill him. We're not going to have this conversation again," Mokuba said, looking extremely regretful about bringing up Gozaburo's name. "Do I need to—"

"Our parents," Kaiba repeated, his heart thundering in his ears as he wondered if talking about it more was going to trigger more horrible memories, but the correct ones this time, not ones about a child molester.

"What? I don't know, Seto, I blocked it all out!" Mokuba raged, rising from the couch and eyeing the door. "Stop it. I don't want to go down memory lane, like you said. I'm leaving now. Can I get you anything before I go?"

"Tell me…if you remember anything," Kaiba breathed, eyeing the elastic in Mokuba's ponytail as his brother hastened to the door, clearly eager to leave.

"I won't and I never will," Mokuba said stiffly, shrugging on his coat and stepping into his shoes. Mokuba's demeanor was now rushed and frantic, very similar to his own actions when Joey first asked him about his parents.

"Do you think we've had our memories suppressed on purpose?" Kaiba pressed, but Mokuba straightened up, gave him a quick hug, and walked out the door.

Kaiba stood in the doorway, watching Mokuba get into his convertible, start the engine with a roar, and back out of the sandy driveway with urgency.

Sighing, Kaiba shut the door and leaned against it, rubbing his temples slowly.

Maybe the memory of his parents was better left unsolved. After all, one tiny snippet of his time with Gozaburo made him regret his entire existence.

Better to leave it all buried.

* * *

 **Author's note:  
**  
atem needs a name for the baby

Isono officially passes away

Seth overhears news about the seto and atem's baby

mokuba confronts seto about his strange anti-aging photos and it triggers a flashback about gozaburo


	46. Chapter 46

Kaiba sat at the edge of the water, letting the waves lap at his ankles.  
He was freezing.  
The water was no longer warm, but he stayed wet anyway, letting the waves swirl in around his hips before shrinking away back to the ocean.

Seth said he was coming.  
He'd gotten a call from a sympathetic-sounding Kisara, saying Seth was on his way with good and bad news. It was something he couldn't say over the phone, and Kaiba worried himself sleepless wondering if it was news about another death.

The loss of Isono was hitting him particularly hard, and the empty house on the beach was difficult to live in, especially after Mokuba and his wife passively kicked him out of the mansion. They weren't ignoring him, but the somberness of their actions could be chalked up to mourning.

Even Noah seemed to sense something was wrong and had stopped calling everyone 'papa'.

Kaiba hadn't spoken to Mokuba in a few weeks since Isono's funeral, which he'd refused to attend, so all he knew was that they had put out a new application for a full-time manservant.

Deep down, Kaiba wasn't sure anyone would bite. Working for their family had its ups and downs. That person would have to be willing to give up their life to stay on their property, or…have no life to begin with.

Sighing, Kaiba bit back another shiver as an icy wave came rushing around his ankles, and he stared at the patterns his legs left in the sand.

He'd been sitting here for an entire day, alone with his thoughts, soaking in the water.

Hugging his knees to his chest, Kaiba shut his eyes and grit his teeth, biting back another shiver.

Fuck…everything….

 _Seto!_

Seth's voice echoed in his mind, and Kaiba's eyes shot open excitedly. He leapt to his feet and raced into the water, scanning the rough waves for signs of life.

A tanned arm stuck out of the water and Kaiba stared at it so hard, his eyes watered with relief.

Holy fuck. Thank fuck.

Seth's head popped above water and he rolled onto the beach with precision, holding nothing but a rusty spear at his side.

Kaiba ran across the sand, chasing the wave Seth rode, and stood above his twin, raking his eyes down the merman's toned form, taking in his long brown hair and glittering blue fins.  
Nothing had changed about him. Good.

"Ah, you missed me," Seth said, flashing his fangs in a handsome grin. "So, what's new on this shore?"

Kaiba knelt in the sand and silently hugged Seth, pulling the merman in so close, he could feel a warm breath graze his ear.

"Oh…I see, you _really_ missed me," Seth said, laughing awkwardly as he briefly hugged Seto back. "What happened?"

"My manservant passed away," Kaiba said stiffly, his throat closing up as he admitted this aloud, and the horrible, clenching feelings of sorrow came rushing back.

"Ah…I'm sorry," Seth bowed his head and drew an odd symbol in the sand. "May he rest in comfort."

"What is that?" Kaiba asked in spite of himself, and he tilted his head, realizing he'd been looking at the symbol upside down. It was the mer-phrase for 'rebirth', and Kaiba's heart clenched strangely.

"Our custom, when someone we love enters the circle of life," Seth said simply, drawing his fins up around him and wringing his hair out with practiced ease. "And speaking of life, I have news."

"Yeah I figured. I don't want to know," Kaiba muttered, turning away to look out over the dark horizon, his shoulders growing heavy. "Don't tell me."

"You must know!" Seth insisted, shaking his head. "You daughter hatched…three moons ago. Well, four now. We've just started another moon cycle—"

"What?" Kaiba breathed, his ears ringing and his body light with nausea. "Three months ago?! And no one thought to tell _me_? Her actual parent?!"

"No one told me!" Seth said indignantly, mirroring Seto's anger. "No messages, nothing. Not even a written note. I had to hear it from the women I sold lipstick to."

Incredulous with fury, Kaiba curled his fingers into the sand, exploding with anger and frustration.

"Don't…scream—" Seth began warningly, but it was too late.

Kaiba leapt to his feet and let out a deafening yell that pierced the air and made the ground vibrate beneath them.

Seth clapped his hands to his ears and winced, feeling the hair raising horribly along his arms, and bit the inside of his cheek when he heard glass shatter in the distance.

Atem and his kingdom were really causing their family grief.

Thousands of leagues below, Atem jerked his head up and felt his breath catch terribly in his chest when the merperson's scream reverberated in his eardrums.

It was as if someone had dragged a searing hot knife down the center of his chest, bringing pain, coupled with a throbbing headache that made his eyes water.

The baby woke up and began screaming in the pod beside him, followed by all the other babies in the neighboring pods, and Atem winced at the sudden assault from all the unpleasant crying.

"Holy…gods!" The Medic clutched her head, wobbling through the pods blindly with her hand out in front of her. "I might need medicine for this headache! Someone call Warrior Mahad!"

Rolling out of the bed beside the baby's pod, Atem reached in to scoop her out of the green leaves, and he held her to his chest, patting her gently on the back while her fins thrashed violently underneath his arms.

The other babies calmed down after the nurse and Medic went through every aisle to give every baby something to drink, but the baby in Atem's arms continued to scream and cry.

Mana came zooming into the infirmary and she hovered anxiously in front of Atem, opening and closing her mouth in shock.

"What?" Atem growled, his eardrums throbbing with pain from all the crying from the baby.

"That was…for you." Mana said seriously, her face darkening. "Seto Kaiba is angry. Not heartbroken this time. You better be careful. Did it hurt? Did he hurt you?!"

"With a scream? Don't be ridiculous," Atem scoffed, but his stomach churned with dread and guilt. It had hurt. Quite a bit.

"It hurt _me,_ how could it not have hurt you?!" Mana cried, pressing a hand to her cheek and fanning water over the baby's face. "No, no, princess. Don't cry. Yes, that was Daddy! Yes, he is mad, aren't you mad too? Ooo give her to me, Atem. I'll make her stop crying."

Thankful for the relief, Atem handed her over to Mana without a second thought and sank into a sitting position on the nearest bed, shaking all over.

This was not sustainable. He had to see Kaiba to smooth things over, but he couldn't get near the surface without the pact activating and begin to kill him.

"What do I do?" Atem mumbled, feeling despair crushing his heart. "We can't keep sending the odd messenger here and there. We can't even find Seth. What do I do?"

"Nothing." Mahad answered breathlessly, leaning against the wall beside the bed and resting his freshly honed spear on his muscular shoulder. "If Seth doesn't show his face, we can't do anything about it. You better hope Kaiba will send his brother here to see the baby. In the meantime, I'll swim to shore and tell him to stop screaming."

There was a tense silence.

Atem nodded and pressed his face into his hands, biting back tears of frustration while the baby's desperate cries rang tinny in his ears.

* * *

"There, there," Seth patted Kaiba's back while the former CEO had his head buried in his arms, and tiny diamonds kept washing away every time a wave came rushing onto the beach.

His throat was scratchy and hoarse, and his eyes kept stinging from the tears that wouldn't stop coming from them.

First Isono, now this. He'd missed the birth of his kid. What did a hatching even look like? He had to hope that at least Atem had been there to see it.  
Atem.

Atem.  
Atem.  
Atem.

"Seto…do you need to…hold the dragon's egg again?" Seth asked gently, hearing his twin spiraling wildly inside his thoughts. "I have good news if you want to hear it."

"There is no good news. Only bad news and worse news," Kaiba ranted, digging his feet furiously into the sand as his teeth chattered. "Fuck my life. I'm a fuck up. She'll never know who I am. I can't fathom that."

"Good news," Seth continued, hoping to talk over Kaiba's depressing aura, which was seeping everywhere. "I found a competent architect who is willing to work with us to rebuild our resorts. She is from Thessaly."

"Cool," Kaiba said dully. He didn't care.

"…Their colony is beautiful," Seth continued, hoping to cheer his brother up. "Their resorts are well sought after too. You pop your head up after a nice, long swim, and can get magnificent views of these mountains…"

"Don't. Care," Kaiba said through gritted teeth, brushing a stray tear off his cheek. "I've got some bad news."

"Oh no, I don't want to hear this," Seth said, and he was cut off rudely by Kaiba.

"I'm running out of money. Again."

"Wh-What?" Seth stammered, shaking his head, unable to believe it. "No. Impossible. You have riches. Kisara tells me your wealth is like an eternal fountain!"

"Yeah it's eternal, but only if you live a standard life like a normal human being," Kaiba snapped, his mood souring quickly. "It's not eternal if you live forever. Mokuba caught me depleting my accounts. I don't have a good explanation for where all the damn lipstick is going."

"I see," Seth said gravely, stretching his fins out to touch an oncoming wave. "What can I do to help?"

"Nothing," Kaiba replied, gazing out over the dark horizon, feeling eerily calm. "Ease up on the spending. We are wealthy and always will be. The issue is the speed of which we are spending it."

"Ah, no need to panic then," Seth said easily, leaning his head on Kaiba's shoulder and leaving a giant wet patch on the shoulder of his stiff suit.

Kaiba hissed in annoyance and leaned away.

"Don't do that," Kaiba growled, his heart beating painfully in his chest as he realized he would have to take his own clothes to the dry cleaners. He would need to mentally prepare himself for the humiliation. Fuck.

"Find yourself another servant," Seth said amicably, not understanding how close Isono was to Kaiba's heart. "Why were you fond of him? Find someone who can do what he does, but better."

"No one can do it better. He knew how to do everything perfectly," Kaiba mumbled, hating how he missed being lectured in his own head. "I didn't have to say anything, and it would be done."

"I'm sorry," Seth said sympathetically. He leaned back onto the warm sand, gazing up at the dark clouds floating across the night sky and thought he saw his twin brother shiver. "Hey, are you taking the medicine? You shouldn't be feeling cold in the water. That is a bad sign."

"Chrysalis…" Kaiba whispered, his eyes wide as he remembered the tiny shore Mahad brought him to. "Can you swim somewhere for me and search the entire perimeter? I might know where a Chrysalis is."

"Yes," Seth said instantly, sitting up and holding his hand out for a map. "Give it to me. I will go now."

Kaiba grabbed Seth's hand immediately and shut his eyes, picturing the cliff where Mahad had been standing. He made sure to include the entire eight-minute swim with Tristan to the secluded beach before he let go, and he saw Seth's eyes shine in the darkness.

"I swim by there sometimes to get here," Seth whispered, sounding excited. "That's very close by! I'll scour the entire cliffside too. Have a shipment ready for me when I come back?"

"Yep," Kaiba said dryly, his stomach curling at the thought of Seth's departure. "Leaving already?"

"Well, we have work to do, don't we?" Seth rested a hand lovingly on Kaiba's shoulder, and Kaiba felt his body heat up inadvertently. "You can draft up plans for our new kingdom. Your brilliance knows no bounds. I'm counting on you, brother. We can share the plans with the Thessalian architect and build the most luxurious resort on this side of the equator!"

Kaiba said nothing and nodded stiffly. Sure. Whatever.

"Oh! And what's her name?" Seth asked, already inching towards the water. "You never told me."

"How am I supposed to know?" Kaiba shot back mindlessly, thinking that Seth was talking about the architect, and he received an odd stare from his twin.

"Your child's name," Seth said, his lips twitching upwards into a smile. "Did you think of one? Everyone keeps calling her 'the Princess of Muran' when it should really be 'Future Queen of Helios'. Quite annoying if you ask me."

"Oh shit," Kaiba said numbly, suppressing a tight shiver. "Fuck."

"Let's not name her any of those words," Seth said blithely, using his spear to push himself off the shore and giving Seto a wave. "I'll be back in a few days, brother. Wish me luck. I shall find this damn Chrysalis. Have those lipsticks ready!"

Kaiba nodded and raised his hand in a half wave, watching his twin disappear underneath a foamy wave.

He stared out over the water for a moment longer before he slowly got to his feet and brushed the sand off his wet slacks.

Time to build a kingdom underwater.  
Where to even start?

* * *

The doorbell rang at the Kaiba residence, and Mokuba palmed his face tiredly.

He saved his work on his laptop and accessed the camera feeds for the front gates, seeing Seto standing resolutely by the intercom, holding a black suitcase at his side.

Sighing, Mokuba rose to his feet and slowly walked out of his room to greet Seto at the door.

Outside, Kaiba gripped his suitcase tightly, trying to appear unfazed, but the crushing guilt was hard to suppress.

He had shattered all the windows of the beach residence with his scream. Freezing gusts of wind would blow through the house, making it unlivable. Even all the cars in the underground garage had suffered damage, so here he was, at 2AM, outside the mansion with a suitcase, ringing the intercom like a stranger.

It was also his first time riding a cab…in decades.

The gate buzzed and swung open. Lowering his head shamefully, Kaiba strode onto the white concrete, trying to compose an excuse that didn't sound like, _"I just destroyed my home by screaming, and now I'm homeless until it's fixed, but could you please pay for the repairs? Because I'd rather spend my money on lipstick."_

To his surprise, a man wearing a dark suit and sunglasses opened the front door. He looked eerily similar to Isono, aside from his hair, which was styled upwards into a single spike in the center of his head, it was almost comical.

"Master Kaiba, welcome in," the man said in a deep, grating voice, and he bowed with precision.

Unable to hide his shock, Kaiba stood on the bottom step and blinked.

Wow, Mokuba had found an Isono clone.  
He wasn't sure if he ought to feel impressed or offended.

"Who are you?" Kaiba asked bluntly, not willing to get within arm's reach of the man, because he looked extremely burly underneath the pressed suit.

"My name is Saruwatari," the man said deeply, still bowed. "But please, call me Kemo. That is what little Noah prefers, and I guess the name sticks. I am Kemo. Nice to meet you. I am honored to be at your service."

"And why would he call you such a ridiculous name?" Kaiba said coldly, realizing he was quickly slipping back into his old self with the insults and cold remarks, and he had to remind himself to stop it.

"Because he's a baby," Kemo replied just as seriously, and Kaiba stared at the man, wondering if he was joking, but his mind was silent. There were no thoughts coming from the man. Was he a robot?!

"Seto! Come in," Mokuba's voice echoed from behind the burly man, and Kemo stepped aside dutifully, melting into the shadows of the house.

Blinking, Kaiba slowly walked up the steps of the mansion, feeling very unwelcome.

"Slippers, for you," Mokuba said carelessly, pointing at the ground, and Kaiba saw a pointed hairstyle bend down briefly before a pair of white slippers appeared at the bevel.

Yes, it seemed this guy was a well-programmed robot of sorts.

He stuck his feet into the slippers and followed Mokuba up the grand staircase, noting the small changes that had appeared since the last time he saw the inside of the house.

Colorful drawings were plastered all along the wall across from the banister, and Kaiba saw one that was messily labeled, "daddy #1", but it was a tall stick figure with brown, crayon hair.

Cute.  
It seemed like the kid missed him.

"What do you want?" Mokuba asked tiredly, pushing open the door of an empty guest room and standing beside it, tapping his foot impatiently. "Do you have anything to say for yourself? For, like, oh, I don't know, maybe… _skipping Isono's funeral?"_

"No," Kaiba said simply, feeling his gut wrench painfully as a brief image of Isono lying lifeless in an open coffin made him nauseous.

"Again, what do you want?" Mokuba asked, eyeing his older brother stonily, giving him a quick up-down glance, noticing a shard of broken glass gleaming on his left shoulder. "Did you get into a fight? Join a gang and want out? I swear, Seto, if this is some Yakuza shit—"

"I broke all the windows in my house, okay?" Kaiba lowered his head to stare at the tips of his slippered feet. "I screamed. It was an accident. It'll be fixed soon, I think."

 _That excuse, again?!_ Mokuba's disgruntled voice echoed through his head, and Kaiba kept his head lowered, feeling his ears burn with a mixture of embarrassment and fury.

"How long will you be staying?" Mokuba stepped into the guest room and flipped on all the lights, walking into the bathroom and the closet to inspect if it had been cleaned. "We're still trying to get everything together. Some staff are taking leave for mourning."

"I can help," Kaiba said instantly, but Mokuba shook his head and declined his offer.

"We're trying to normalize Noah's schedule, so if people keep coming and going, he'll get stressed," Mokuba said impatiently, and Kaiba had an inkling Mokuba was talking about him.

"I'll be staying a week, maybe, depending on the speed of the repairs," Kaiba said quietly, unsure of how to begin asking for financial help fixing all the windows. His estimate had been about several hundred-thousand yen, bordering on a million based on the type of panes he wanted.

He'd never had to think about money so much before, and it was pissing him off slightly.

"Let me guess, you want me to fix it," Mokuba caught on quickly, and he sighed, shaking his head. "I'll do it, Seto, but this will be the last time. Convert the garage into a lab so you'll stop breaking shit inside the house. There won't be room for any more of your crazy fuck-ups in the future because I'm putting aside a trust for Noah."

"Right," Kaiba ground his teeth and immediately felt like a burden. "Well, I can contribute to that."

"You mean you want access to the account so you can spend his money?" Mokuba shot back with a steely glare. "Sorry Seto. I know you're rehabilitated or whatever, and I'll trust you when you say the money is going towards lipstick for mermaids, but if I see you throwing up or turning green, I'm cutting you off."

Kaiba's heart skipped a solid beat, and he stared incredulously at his younger brother.

W-Was Mokuba really threatening him right now?!

"I'm not on—it's not drugs!" Kaiba hissed, dropping his suitcase onto the floor with a thunk, his anger rising quickly. "Why is it so hard for you to believe me?!"

"Because everything you do totally contradicts what you say," Mokuba said blandly, his eyes glassing over. "If they are vitamins, why do they make you sicker? Maybe Joey and Tristan were gang members who needed rehabilitation and they got pushed onto you. You couldn't say no, so you babysat them for four years, and we never saw them again. That would also explain why they're both dropouts. How'd they get into Todai University with that attitude anyway?"

"How would you explain all the broken windows then?" Kaiba asked aggressively, and to his frustration, Mokuba had an answer prepared for this too.

"You invented some kind of supersonic device for your own protection. I've seen you use it as a scare tactic. I'm related to you, Seto. I grew up seeing you play these tricks on people, so honestly, I'm done falling for it."

The brothers stared icily at each other from across the room, and Kaiba finally broke the silence after he couldn't stand it anymore.

"I'll pay you back."

"I don't need you to pay me back, nor do I want you to pay me back," Mokuba began, but Kaiba cut across him, sounding determined.

"New idea, we're branching out," Kaiba said coldly, his heart racing at the thought of a new way to generate income. "Start selling jewelry. We're going to be part-time jewelers. Or, you know what? Don't bother. I'll do it, and you can just pick up after me, since that's what you love to do."

"Is that what you think? Man, Seto, fuck you!" Mokuba cried, his cheeks reddening with fury. "I thought you said those diamonds we found in that dive years ago were cursed or something!"

"Yeah, well, we don't have to sell those," Kaiba said, beginning to rant mindlessly and already reaching into his pocket for his phone. "We can start with semi-precious stones. It'll be jewelry…for children. It won't be high-end shit. It'll be stuff they can wear for special events, and it won't be too expensive, but it should still look classy. We don't have to saturate the diamond market."

Mokuba's mouth dropped open, and he folded his arms across his chest, his heart thundering as he wondered if the old Seto was back. Seto was a genius of sorts, which explained all his weird, eccentric behavior, but where would Seto get a bunch of semi-precious stones ready to be made into jewelry?

He watched Seto hold the phone to his ear, and after a few moments, smile kindly and speak a language he'd never heard before. It made his ears buzz strangely, and the way Seto's tongue curled around some syllables made his hair stand on end.

"Seth?" Kaiba waited three heartbeats, and the phone rustled quietly as it changed hands, and Seth answered happily. "Brother!"

"What do we do with all the left-over rubies and shit that don't get spent?" Kaiba demanded, unable to sound polite. He was itching with excitement now. This was the way to generate 'return' on those lipsticks. If Mokuba wanted to see 'return', here it was.

"They get scattered into crowds at royal processions, or people make them into jewelry, or we stick them into clayware, you name it," Seth said, rattling off a list. "Why? Also, are you taking the medicine?"

"Yes, I am, shut up." Kaiba snapped, walking over to the desk by the window and pulling out each drawer, searching for a pad of paper and finding none before he gave up. "I need all the spare, shitty, low-grade currency we aren't using. The pennies. They're worth something up here. I'll find a way to turn them into jewelry people want to buy."

"That's a great idea, Seto!" Kisara praised in the background, and Kaiba smirked, his heart swelling with triumph.

He realized Mokuba was still standing in the doorway in the semi-darkness, giving him a strange look.

"Which shore? I can come to you," Kaiba said, and after a pause, Kisara's voice floated through the receiver.

"I'm flying to America next to see New York City, but Seth says he will need help carrying all the gems up. How will we recruit help? We don't…what's that, Seth? Oh, he says, we don't have an army. …Dear, is that a metaphor or do you really need an army?"

"Shit," Kaiba hissed, and he heard Seth call out to him.

"We'll figure it out. I'll drag it up bag by bag slowly then. Draft up the plans, brother! See you at your shore in a week."

The phone clicked off in his ear, and Kaiba tossed his phone down on the desk, frustrated.

It was one damn problem after another.  
He needed an army.  
These colonies underwater were more like small countries!  
He wasn't equipped to raise an army. They had barely made enough money to rebuild!

Who the fuck wanted to live in a construction zone, or hell, fight for a construction zone?

"So…I take it it's not happening," Mokuba said carefully, raising his eyebrows. "Good night."

"No it's happening," Kaiba said icily, placing his palms down on the desk, listening to the rapid pounding of his heart in his ears. "There's just too much of it, and he needs help hauling it up."

"R-Really? Is it like, buried treasure?" Mokuba perked up, his cheerful boyishness returning in a flash. "I can help if it's buried treasure!"

Kaiba blinked and stared at his younger brother before his face split into a handsome grin. Right, of course. Mokuba loved this kind of shit.

"Then I'll give you coordinates when I have them," Kaiba said evenly, and he received a warm smile from Mokuba in return.

"I guess we're becoming jewelers," Mokuba said blithely. "Ayame will love this. But this time, let's name the company after something or someone else, okay? Maybe Noah? But he's a boy. I don't think he'll be too happy about us naming some sparkly necklace company after him."

"Go to bed. I'll think about it," Kaiba replied, sitting down behind the desk and feeling himself burn all over with a sense of excitement he hadn't felt in years. "I need the baby book of names for girls."

"Oh, okay. It's in the study. You'll find it," Mokuba yawned and gave Seto a casual wave. "G'night for real this time. Love you, big bro. You've still got it."

Kaiba nodded stiffly, sparing Mokuba a half-smile.

 _Hell yeah I've still got it_ , Kaiba thought indignantly to himself. He stretched lightly and cursed himself for not bringing his laptop…because he'd also cracked the screen with his scream.  
Time to scour the mansion's lab for one of Mokuba's old laptops.

* * *

"Papa…"

"PAPA!"

Kaiba cracked his eyes open and saw Noah clinging to the edge of his chair.

Sunlight streamed in through the window and a clear blue sky was painted brightly over the tall trees on the property.

"Hey, kid…" Kaiba lifted his head up and a book page stuck his cheek slightly. "What are you doing up here? Where's your mom?"

"Papa, play!" Noah smiled happily, his palms out excitedly, and Kaiba palmed his face tiredly realizing he'd fallen asleep at his desk last night.

"Noah!" Ayame's frantic calling could be heard echoing from downstairs, followed by her rapid thoughts. _Where is he?! Oh fuck, I've lost him in this fucking goddamn, huge-ass house, fuck!  
_  
"Noah! Mama isn't playing games right now! Come out! Did you climb up the stairs by yourself again?!"

 _Shit shit shit, fuck! He'll kill himself rolling down these stairs one day! Where's that damn nanny? He's useless!_

Rising slowly out of his chair, Kaiba reached down to pick Noah off the ground, and the child protested loudly by his ear, "Down! Me want down!" _Down, papa, down down down! Put down!_

Smiling slightly to himself, Kaiba walked to the door, pleasantly surprised that Ayame had picked up cursing from Mokuba. She was always so sweet, so hearing her chant 'fuck' in her head was refreshing.

"Oh, Noah, thank f—Mr. Kaiba!" She cried, looking extremely disheveled as she skidded to a halt by the guest room door. "Mokuba left me a text saying…oh, well, good morning. I'm sorry I'm not dressed, oh thank god. Come here, Noah!"

"Want Papa," Noah said plainly, hanging onto Kaiba's shoulder. "Papa only."

"Take your time. I'll get his breakfast and everything ready," Kaiba said warmly, and Ayame bobbed her head down in a frantic bow before hastening away, thinking to herself.

 _Thank god…I've wanted to take a hot bath since Thursday. Now I finally can! Seto is more reliable than Mokuba says. He really would do well as a husband. Oooh, shut up! Stop thinking about that!_

"Hungry?" Kaiba asked Noah, walking down the grand stairway, mildly shocked that Noah had climbed these all the way up to his room. "When did you wake up?"

 _Five thirty_! Noah replied in his head, but what came out of his mouth was "fwaha ofwaha!"

"Too early. Wake up at nine and stop running around the house," Kaiba rolled his eyes and set Noah down into his baby seat at the kitchen counter.

 _I run fast,_ Noah thought mildly, and he babbled nonsensically again. _For milk. Want crackers. Chocolate. Papa get choco. Choco. Choco!_

"Who feeds you chocolate for breakfast?" Kaiba asked coldly, opening all the cabinets in search for babyfood. He stopped at the refrigerator and peered in through the glass door, seeing two bottles of milk labeled clearly, and he reached for the handle to retrieve them just as an arm, clad in a dark suit, reached across his face to help.

"Master Kaiba, good morning," and Kaiba took a surprised step back to stare at the new manservant. What was his name again?

"KEEMO!" Noah shrieked happily, kicking his legs in the baby seat. "Kee-moh-oh-ai-yoh!"

Right. Kemo.

It was an abbreviation for disgusting, creepy, or weird.

Was Noah calling this man 'a creepy weirdo' in Japanese?

"Yes, good morning to you too," the man said, bowing deeply to the baby, and Kaiba couldn't keep the displeasure from showing on his face.

"This is my job, so please let me do it," the man said, and Kaiba narrowed his eyes at him, listening for his thoughts, but again, hearing nothing.

Suspicious….

"Yeah, no. It's _my_ job. Your job is to do what I tell you, and I'm telling you…to go outside and clip some roses," Kaiba said, pulling the glass door open and snatching the milk off the shelf. "Find a vase and make it look pretty. Go, now."

"Uh…I'm not a gardener," the man said awkwardly, and Kaiba glared icily at him, pointing out the balcony door.

"I want those roses on the dining table in an hour, or you're fired."

"FIRED!" Noah giggled, clapping his hands. "Papa fire Kimo! Pew pew!"

"Yeah, papa will indeed fire…this _Kimo_ ," Kaiba said, seeing a bead of sweat slowly forming on the larger man's forehead, but still, his thoughts were silent.  
Why wasn't he thinking about anything?!  
Shouldn't he be angry, frightened about losing his job, or confused for being called rude names?

To Kaiba's dismay, the man bowed and walked stiffly out the balcony doors, making sure to slide it shut behind him.

"Hey, is he weird?" Kaiba asked Noah instantly, expecting the baby to answer, but Noah giggled and stuck his fingers in his mouth, biting on his whole fist.

Ok. Nevermind. Maybe this Kemo was another one of those…Undercover mermen.  
No one had nothing inside their heads unless they were purposely concealing their thoughts.  
That much he knew.

"Hungurrrrr," Noah gurgled, reaching for the bottle. "Papa give."

"It's coming, you little brat, learn to wait," Kaiba growled, turning to warm the milk, and he made a mental note to ask Seth about how to uncover an undercover merman, because one seemed to have infiltrated his home.

* * *

Seth fanned his fins out over the sand, enjoying the weak sunlight filtering through the clouds as he waited for Seto to show up.

For some strange reason, the house on the hill had been covered in blue plastic, and Seth could only assume that Seto was remodeling or something.

He heard the rumble of a car engine, and he hastily slid back into the water to conceal himself.

Ducking his head under the water, he pushed floating strands of his hair out of the way as he swam towards the rock where the small inlet had been carved, and to his relief, the medicines which he had left there had been taken away.

Good. At least Seto was taking the medicine.

 _SETH! Where the fuck are you?!_ Kaiba's voice rang painfully in his head, and Seth winced, bobbing his head above water and waving from behind the rock.

"Can you be a little less uncouth?" Seth grumbled, swimming easily to shore while riding another shallow wave. He slid onto the beach and barely had time to compose himself before rolls of plastic were shoved under his nose.

"You ask for miracles. I had to call in eight specialists to help get this shit done, and I had to make them all sign non-disclosures," Kaiba growled, sitting down in the wet sand.

Seth's clawed hand reached for the rolled-up plastic, and when it unfurled, his blue-eyes gleamed with happiness.

"Incredible!" The merman exclaimed, holding the plastic scrolls up to the sunlight for a better look. "These plans are amazing! Better than I would've done!"

"Well, eight—no, nine people worked on this tirelessly for a week straight," Kaiba said stiffly, throwing a look over at the tarp-covered beach house. "Did you see humans come by? You need to be careful. They're here to repair the windows."

"Oh, I'll hear them before they even see me," Seth waved carelessly, his eyes still nailed to the neatly drawn plans. "I'll show this to our Thessalian friend, and she'll make this possible."

Kaiba nodded and stretched his legs out in the sand, feeling another freezing wave come washing over his knees, soaking his pants completely. Wait, shit. He didn't bring a spare change of clothes. He was going to get the car wet, and Mokuba was going to kill him….

"What are you going on about?" Seth asked, uncurling another scroll with excitement and spreading it on the ground. "I have yet to meet this 'Mokuba' who you claim is your kin!"

"You'll never meet him," Kaiba said darkly. "He doesn't want to hear me talk about mermaids anymore. Next topic. I've thought of a name."

"…This would make a great study area," Seth mused, pointing at a sketch of a beautiful, glass-domed room. "Lots of light. Perhaps you could stain the glass for us, so when sun streams down, it would be—"

"You're not even listening to me," Kaiba growled, grabbing a handful of sand and lobbing it at his twin. It landed with a wet slap on Seth's bare chest, and Seth brushed it away irritably, making sure to hold the laminated plans high above his head.

"Careful! Don't ruin the scrolls! I am listening. Tell me the name you've decided."

Kaiba bit back a sigh and looked out over the ocean, letting the wind ruffle his bangs for a moment before he said quietly, "Adina."

"Princess Adina. Has a nice ring to it," Seth said warmly, nodding in approval. "I'll send a messenger to let everyone know. Atem has been waiting for you to reply to his octopus. You're never underwater to receive them, so I don't know how you two communicate."

"We _don't_ ," Kaiba said icily, feeling a horrible pang of misery. "I hear news from you, or Mahad."

"And I hear personal news from...strangers," Seth commented, also sounding miffed. "It seems we're the odd ones out because we're not as connected. We're considered outcasts. Better rebuild and reinstate our status as a powerful colony, well-equipped with nice dwellings, schools, and a competent army."

"Yeah, I don't know how you plan to raise an army," Kaiba said glumly, digging his feet into the sand and letting another wave swirl around his ankles. "Got any ideas?"

"I thought you would think of some," Seth answered blithely, rolling the scrolls up. "That's how we work. You come up with a brilliant idea, and I supplement it with more brilliance. So? What's the plan?"

"Best thing I've got is…we pay people to be in the army," Kaiba said dully, and his idea was shot down by Seth.

"How weak would our army be if they were so easily swayed by riches? You want loyalty, not people after riches."

"I fucking know that!" Kaiba hissed, balling another clump of wet sand in his fist. "Stop relying on me for everything! I don't have all the answers. I'm already selling our crap rubies as children's jewelry."

"Dangerous territory you're treading," Seth said darkly, setting the scrolls aside and inching over to sit beside his twin. "…But is it working?"

"Yes," Kaiba answered stiffly, blinking as a harsh ocean wind whipped his bangs into his eyes. "Don't worry about it. Worry about rebuilding, otherwise, why the hell am I breaking my back on land for this?"

"I believe this was why you were really sent up here," Seth said warmly, throwing his arm around Seto's shoulders to hug him casually. "Think about where we'd be now if you weren't so savvy with humans. Don't worry. You'll get to come home soon."

"Speaking of home," Kaiba narrowed his eyes and shrugged Seth's arm off his shoulder. "Did you find a Chrysalis using the map I gave you?"

"…No. There was nothing there," Seth hung his head, his ears red with anger and frustration. "Mahad is smart. That place was a dead end. It's a secondary meet-up location that warriors use to re-group before disbanding again."

"God fucking damn it." Kaiba growled, his eyes burning as he glared at the sunny horizon.

They sat together in pleasant silence, watching the waves lap against the shore, leaving white streaks of foam as it receded back into the ocean, both brothers lost in deep thought.

* * *

Atem sat on his bed, flipping through the glossy magazine with Kaiba's face on it for the umpteenth time. He was getting bored of the same images, and he had managed to read the entire thing after painstakingly translating it into merspeak with Mai and Anzu's help.

It was about something called an 'interview', where one human was asking Kaiba questions about his romantic preferences, and Kaiba had cheekily replied with, 'I like men with spiky hair'.

Atem had read and re-read that line over and over again, his heart dancing happily every time he imagined Kaiba saying that in his usual, cold tone, but even that was getting repetitive.

He had to wonder if Kaiba still felt the same way.  
Being ignored wasn't a good feeling. He knew Kaiba couldn't constantly be underwater to receive the messengers, so he couldn't fault Kaiba for that.

Almost as if he had willed it, something rapped at his door loudly, and a tiny octopus's voice chirped through the barrier, "I have a message for King Atem from Seto Kaiba!"

Bolting out of bed, Atem yanked the door open and dragged the octopus into his room by the tentacle, ignoring it's frightened squeaking.

"Ah—ow, so rough! My king, please!"

"Tell me all of it!" Atem cried breathlessly, resisting the urge to shake the octopus violently. "Did you see him? What did he say?"

"A-Actually, this is a message from Seth, from Seto Kaiba," the octopus whimpered, curling and uncurling its tentacles in distress. "A message of a message—"

"Right, he doesn't want to talk to me directly, I see how it is," Atem fumed. "Speak!"

"The, uh…ahem," the octopus stiffened and began reciting, " _Atem, I hope you're well. I'm sorry I haven't been able to receive your messages. Recently, my manservant passed away and I've been grieving. Seth has been traveling with Kisara to spread word about a product that will help raise my kingdom again. Lastly, I have—"_

"Lastly?" Atem interrupted, his heart sinking at the short message.

 _"Lastly!"_ the octopus cried, shrinking away from Atem in fear. " _I have a name. It's Adina. Princess Adina. I would like to see her. Send messages to Seth from now on, or, send them to me every Saturday evening. I'll make time to jump in the water and find this little purple worm. End message."_

"Yes, I love and care for you too," Atem raged, resisting the urge to sink his fangs into the octopus. "Don't say anything like that, Kaiba, but yes, do say things about Seth and how he will be receiving the messages instead! How dare he call you a purple worm?!"

"Don't…kill me! Don't kill the messenger!" The octopus squeaked, doing an awkward twirl in the water. "Would you like to send one back?"

"Yes," Atem glowered, and he spoke rapidly without taking a breath. "Kaiba, I miss you dearly, and your child is being extremely difficult. She doesn't want to be fed by me. Tell Seth to come here and feed her! You two share the same DNA, so it should fool her long enough to have one proper meal. At this rate, she'll be malnourished. Also, send me some more books with photos of you. I'm getting tired of reading the same ones. End message."

"Thank you! I will wait at the rock until the week's end!" The octopus said cheerfully, giving Atem a three tentacled salute before it zipped out of the door, leaving a stream of white bubbles behind it.

Sighing, Atem sank down onto his bed, hanging his head.

This was torture.  
At least now, after moons of waiting, he finally had the name for the princess.  
Adina.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

A new company is in the works! This is how Kaiba mourns: he throws himself into new projects.

Kaiba trying to rebuild the colony from above water while seth is running around selling lipsticks with kisara!

WHO IS KEMO?! (lmao) kaiba sees seth and forgets to ask about him awww

And atem finally gets a reply from Kaiba! shit is coming together finally (?)

(PS i made some cute stickers here on my ART INSTA: PINKPAFU i hope you'll like my tiny arts in sticker form!)


	47. Chapter 47

"…So she swam alllll the way through the kelp forest to see her grandmother, but got lost on the way. She stopped to talk to some wild manta rays," Mana read aloud while Princess Adina watched her through half-open eyes. "…Will she make it to grandma's house? To be continued when you wake up. You're sleepy."

"No I'm not!" The princess protested, reaching a chubby hand out to grab Mana by her bracelet-adorned wrist. "I already know what happens. Daddy read it to me after mealtime, and granddaddy read it to me yesterday."

"What? This your _third_ time hearing this story?" Mana cried, shutting the book with a snap and giving the princess a light pinch on her cheek. " _You tricked me!_ Go to bed now."

"Then tell me another story," she pouted, bunching the soft sheets underneath her chin and gazing at Mana with her large, angular eyes. "One about my Daddy."

"Okay…which one?" Mana asked, her heart sinking rapidly as she realized the princess's questions had gotten more insistent and frequent during these past few moons. The moment she'd learned to speak, it had been non-stop questions, and everyone was having a hard time giving her truthful answers.

It was a little unfair to her, but Mana knew that the truth had to be kept from her until she was old enough to understand it.

"The one everyone always teases me about," Adina said, frowning in concentration. "The one who is ' _that shore-loving piece of_ —"

"Oh! Okay! Him! Yes him," Mana dove forward to gently press her hand over Adina's mouth, feeling sharp fangs pressing against her palm. "Don't say bad words! You know those are bad, right?"

The child blinked imploringly at her, so she lowered her hand away from the princess's mouth. Adina's eyes narrowed dangerously, looking as if she was about to cry, but she was trying very hard not to throw a tantrum.

"Nobody says anything nice about him," Adina hiccupped, digging her claws into the blankets on her lap. "Is he a bad man? Like Mr. Shark in the story? Did he eat grandma? Is that why I don't have a grandma too?"

"Wow, um, no!" Mana cried, shaking her head vehemently and feeling her cheeks burn. "You have an active imagination! Did you say the other kids are teasing you at school? That's very serious! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because they won't stop it, even if I do tell you, or anyone." The princess answered perceptively, her brow wrinkling further with sadness. "How come he never comes to visit even if he is a merman? What's so good about shore?"

"Shore is just like here," Mana said soothingly, feeling herself break out into a cold sweat. "Okay? Sleepy-time now!"

"Will you take me there sometime?" The princess continued to ask rapid questions. "Is it far from here? We could go really quickly and come back! Please don't say 'no'. I've already asked everybody. You're my favorite, Mana."

"Aw…y-you're my favorite too," Mana whispered, tucking the blankets in underneath Adina's chin. "No more questions. We'll talk a lot more tomorrow—"

"That's another thing everyone says. _'No more questions_ ,'" Adina replied, sounding not the least bit tired and suddenly becoming _very_ chatty. "Tell me a _real_ story about my daddy. With pictures! Or I'm never gonna sleep, and it'll be all your fault that I'm never gonna close my eyes."

Mana blinked at her, her blood running cold at the sudden threats.  
Why did her mood change like that? It was scary!

"Very well…if I tell you the real story, you have to keep it a secret," Mana said fervently, sitting down beside the princess's bed again and letting her fins sink into the soft mattress below. "Promise you won't tell anyone I told you."

"Promise," Adina echoed excitedly. "Then I'll sleep, because I'm a good girl."

She snuggled obediently under the blankets, leaving nothing but a pair of bright eyes blinking at Mana from the edge of the sheets. It was hard to say 'no' to that face.

"Once upon a time…" Mana took a deep breath and wondered where she should start, but to her dismay, the princess cut across her rudely.

"Nope, wrong," Adina said coldly, narrowing her eyes again. "Just tell me where he is and everything about him. It's not a story. I won't be tricked. No tricking. You can't trick me."

"Okay, okay," Mana stammered, losing her composure quickly and feeling herself shake. "He is an Undercover merman on a _secret mission_."

"To do what? And why?" Adina asked, lightning quick, and Mana blinked rapidly, thrown off guard.

"We don't know," Mana said, patting the princess's arm under the covers. "That's why it's called 'undercover work'. He got trapped in human form because he lost a part of himself while on the job, and that's why he can't come down to visit. But he loves you very much."

"How do you know that?" Adina snapped, sounding extremely annoyed now. "Have you ever met him? Seen him? Everyone says he abandoned me here! Is Atem even my real daddy? I heard some girls at school saying he _found me_ in a Chrysalis! And maybe that's why granddaddy is the only one who is really nice to me."

"W-Wow…that is a lot of…wrong information," Mana breathed, shaking and on the brink of panic. "How long have you been listening to these bad rumors? That's what they are: rumors! Don't listen to them. They're wrong!"

"What's 'right' then?" Adina challenged, folding her arms across her chest and creating a strange lump under the sheets. "That's why I want you to tell me a story with pictures. I'll only believe it if you show me."

"I don't have pictures in my head right now, but maybe if you ask Atem reeeaally nicely, he can show you some, okay?" Mana whispered, floating up above Adina's bed and re-tucking her into the sheets, eager to leave.

"He won't. I already asked," Adina said glumly. "He said 'when I get older', and when is that?!"

She lowered her head, and Mana frowned sympathetically at the princess, seeing the young girl's shoulders shake. Well…crap.

"Okay, fine, you win. I'll tell you everything I know," Mana said quietly, sitting down on the edge of Adina's bed again and reaching under the covers to grab her small hands. "Close your eyes. I'm going to show you where you were _really_ found."

"So, _not_ in a Chrysalis?" Adina's eyes widened hopefully, and Mana shook her head silently.

The princess shut her eyes tightly and waited. There was a moment of silence and darkness before she found herself zooming through the water beside Mana at breakneck speed, and Auntie Medic was beside her, panting out of breath.

"Wait…I'm sorry," Auntie Medic said, holding her hand out to touch Mana. "It's been a while since...I've swam to shore…"

"It's okay!" Mana chirped, and together, they swam slowly upwards, past a dark, kelp forest, over several ship debris, and two coral reefs before they popped their heads above water to take a deep breath of air.

"There!" Mana pointed at the house on a cliff, and they bobbed along a shallow wave that swept them closer towards the shore. "Kaiba's Private Rock, in this tiny crevice…"

Adina swallowed thinly, gripping Mana's warm hands tighter as she stamped every image clearly into her mind. It was a human's house, and an empty beach.

After swimming past the whole beach, Mana reached the cliffside and stuck her arm through a curtain of kelp, producing a dark egg, which she hugged to her chest protectively.

"It's Atem's, I can feel it!"

"Mana, give that to me," Auntie Medic cried, sounding very shocked.

The scene faded quickly, and the jellyfish lamps inside the bedroom swam back into view.

" _You_ found me?!" Adina cried, her shoulders relaxing with relief and joy. "No wonder I love you so much!"

"Oh…I love you too!" Mana whispered, bending down to give the princess a kiss on her forehead. "You're a little brat, but I love you. _Now_ will you sleep?"

"How long did you swim for?" Adina asked instantly, and Mana bit back a sigh, floating to the door and resting her hand on the knob.

"A very long time. We got very tired," Mana lied, looking guiltily over her shoulder at the princess. "Only highly-trained warriors can make the swim to shore. Good niiiight!"

She hastily yanked the door open and ducked out into the hallway, making sure to shut it firmly behind herself before she sagged against it, exhausted, feeling the decorative gems on the door's surface dig into her shoulder blades.

Wow. The princess was barely a few years old and was already this talkative and inquisitive. It was going to become a real problem in the future when she realized everyone had been lying to her.

Taking a deep breath, Mana dashed out of the women's wing and straight into the men's hallway, making a beeline for Atem's door.

She knocked urgently, and after three heartbeats, Atem pulled his door open, looking tired and distressed. Dark shadows hung underneath his eyes and hollow cheekbones, making him look gaunter than usual.

"A-Atem…we need to talk," Mana pushed her way into the king's room without invitation and slammed the door shut behind her. "Princess Adina is asking way too many questions! About everything!"

"Oh, I know," Atem said heavily, floating over to his bed to sit on the edge. "It takes a lot from me to keep my mind blank and say, 'I don't know'. I'm not sure how much longer I can take it."

"Maybe _you_ should tell her about Kaiba," Mana whispered, taking a seat beside Atem on the bed and holding his hands tightly. "She's being bullied at school. Kids are teasing her about her father being a _'shore-loving you-know-what'_. I can't believe she almost said that out loud to me."

Atem's eyes widened prettily and he said nothing, his chest tight with a mixture of guilt and sorrow.

"You know, they will learn the name 'Kaiba' in school," Atem said darkly, hanging his head. "Mahad told me. It's in War History. They will learn about a man who sent warships down and destroyed many colonies for our riches. What will she think when they get to that chapter? It won't matter what I tell her. She'll form her own opinion and think I lied to her."

"But it's the truth. Seto is _nothing_ like that," Mana said firmly. "Coincidence! Same name, different people."

"Right, of course," Atem nodded, glancing down at the rings on his finger, realizing that he was now wearing every single one that Kaiba had forged for him. "You know, I've been feeling drained lately. Mahad says it's the side-effects of the pact because we amended it. I might not even be able to visit a surface colony at this rate."

"Are you feeling ill?" Mana cried, giving Atem's hands a frantic squeeze. "Just stay within our hemisphere and you'll be fine."

"I've been doing that, and I'm thoroughly fed up with it," Atem raged, his temper flaring unexpectedly. "I hate lying to her, and I want to see Kaiba for myself. This horrible limbo we're stuck in isn't healthy for anyone."

"I know…I know, I'm so sorry," Mana rested her head on Atem's shoulder, biting back a frustrated sigh. "This is highly illegal, but have you considered breaking the pact completely?"

"Yes, I think about it constantly," Atem growled, glaring at the silver KC belt buckle hanging above his bed. "Joey and Mahad are both helping me. But to amend it, we need Solomon's blessing, again. Now that Adina is here, there's an even higher chance he will refuse. One wrong word and it might kill me, or Kaiba. We're not sure."

Mana let her breath out slowly and gave the king's hand another reassuring squeeze.

They would find a solution sooner or later. For Adina's sake.

* * *

Kaiba sat on the beach while mindlessly turning over a delicate ring in his fingers. He watched Noah play with a bucket in the sand, singing happily to himself while the waves lapped against the shore.

Mokuba and Ayame were out for an anniversary lunch. Lucky them.

Meanwhile, he was stuck here, holding Kisara's wedding ring: the one with the delicate gold band and the marquis-shaped stone with the sparkling blue core.

It had been mailed to him in a padded white envelope, attached with a neat, handwritten note of apology, a sealed note with Seth's name on it, a hospital bill, and a bill from a crematory.

Her handwriting was burned into his mind, and Kaiba found that he couldn't stop thinking about it, so he chalked it up to his own grief.

The line that haunted him the most was the first sentence.

 _"Dear Seto,_

 _Here's my ring you wanted so badly."_

 _Fuck,_ Kaiba hung his head in his hands and let the sun beat down on his shoulders.  
Was it that obvious that he only married her for the ring? Well, untrue.  
He had grown to love and appreciate her kindness, but obviously Seth got to enjoy that more than him.

The rest of the letter was an apology that echoed horribly in his head in a mess of jumbled lines.

 _"…I'm sorry I didn't call or even text.  
I didn't want to stress you out because I know how you get when you're stressed, and I didn't want you flying all the way over here just to see me fall asleep. You have your hands full with your double life, hehe…"_

She had actually written 'hehe' informally like a sixteen-year-old.

It made him smile, and then cry.

He had rushed out of the house and shouted for Seth, who, thankfully, was already waiting for him behind the rock. After shoving the sealed letter under his brother's nose, the look of shock painted on his twin's face while he read it was also hard to forget.

"But I _just_ saw her! I _just_ left her on a Canadian shore! She was fine!" Seth insisted, and he dove off into an oncoming wave in his grief.  
Kaiba called after him but had received silence.  
Great. He presumed Seth was swimming from shore to shore in mourning, while leaving him alone to deal with it in his own way.

Being immortal sucked.

But even immortal beings experienced death.

His neck burned from the sun, and he ran a hand over his skin, hating how dry he felt.  
Summers were now absolute torture.

His skin would crack and dry out so much, it would begin to flake.  
No amount of fish scale injections, mer-medicine, or even his home-made serum mixtures could ease the suffering. As a result, he stayed near the water at all times like a fucking amphibian.

If it got too hot, he'd jump in the water.  
If his skin began to dry out, he'd jump in the water.  
His only relief were evenings, and rainy days, but those were few and far between.

Sighing, he slid the ring on his pinky and watched it sparkle wonderfully under the sun. It was a pretty ring, but it looked totally out of place on his hand, but he couldn't bear to part with it.

"Seto! I made a castle!" Noah cried happily, pointing his sand-covered arms at the misshapen lump at his knees. "Wanna help me find a stick? I need a stick for a flag."

"There are no sticks on this beach," Kaiba replied tiredly, rising to his feet and wading into the water. "Go inside the house and get a chopstick, or use a giant log of driftwood."

Noah frowned and shook his head. "No, I wanna stick. A real stick! Like in the movies!"

"Look around, kid. There are no sticks," Kaiba said, exasperated. "Try your hardest. I'll give you an ice cream if you can find a damn—I mean, a stick around here."

"OooOoOo you said a bad word!" Noah taunted, sticking his tongue out playfully at Seto. "You need to wash your mouth with soap."

"You need to get lost before I kick your butt," Kaiba shot back, reminding himself that he was arguing with a seven-year-old.

"Why are you swimming _again?_ You just went!" Noah cried, crossing his arms irritably. "Do I really have to use a chopstick? Ugh…this beach sucks."

" _You_ suck," Kaiba shot back mindlessly, smiling a little. Noah rolled his eyes and stomped off towards the house, spraying sand at his heels with every step.

Brat.

Kaiba sank slowly into a sitting position and gazed out over the foamy waves, eyeing the surface of the water by the large rock. Seth had been gone for about two months now. The silence was unnerving. He knew Seth had been secretly fucking Kisara behind his back, but even now, he couldn't bring himself to care, or even say anything.

Why should he have cared?  
Kisara knew he loved Atem, and Seth was the perfect alternative.

But he had an inkling of how Seth felt.  
Dealing with a death without seeing the body was a different kind of pain.  
When Isono had passed, Kaiba thought it would've been easier to cope by skipping the funeral, but in fact, it made closure that much harder, and since he was so stubborn, regret tortured him and kept him awake on particularly bad nights.

The only consolation he got was telling himself he was doing the right thing.

His jewelry company was thriving under a new name, and the underwater kingdom's construction was completed. He had yet to see it because he could no longer hold his breath for more than three minutes or withstand high water pressure without a splitting headache.

It seemed like his body had slowly been reverting into human form, and it was the worst of both worlds. The water was icy cold, but he needed it to stay moist.  
The sun was roasting him alive, but he needed the nutrients from it.  
How the hell did amphibians cope?

Sighing, Kaiba inched deeper into the water and closed his eyes, listening to the waves lapping against the rock with every passing tide, listening for tell-tale signs of Seth's splashes.

* * *

A small pod of children floated after their teacher who was swimming slowly through a shipwreck and pointing out the different items humans used.

"This is a window, very similar to our windows," the teacher said, and one child hung at the very back of the group, looking bored and interested. "Miss Adina? Please keep up. I don't want to lose you in here. Next, we have…a sofa. Does anyone know what 'sofa' is made out of?"

Several hands shot up in the air, and Adina rolled her eyes, resting her palm on the dark, splintered surface of the algae-covered wall of the ship.  
She already knew all this stuff. It was in all the books inside her room, which she had already read by staying up way too late past her bedtime.

"Miss Adina? Please keep up," the teacher called, waving the students in through a narrow crevice leading into another room. "We are heading into the next section now! Does anyone know what 'master bedroom' means?"

 _Ugh,_ Adina rolled her eyes again and slowly shrank back into the shadow of the doorway, wondering if this was the shipwreck she'd seen in Mana's vision.

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Was there a kelp forest nearby?  
Only one way to find out.

Inching backwards out of the room, she listened to the teacher's voice echoing softly from the dark crevice, and she waited two heartbeats…waiting, listening…waiting….

The teacher's voice got fainter, and Adina took this chance to bolt down the hallway and out through the broken hull of the ship, keeping her arms tight at her sides to make herself as small as possible.  
Getting through the water fast was her priority.  
Not getting caught was her priority.

Finding her birthplace, "Kaiba's Private Rock", was her goal.  
It was proof that she wasn't found inside a Chrysalis.  
If the place existed, she would believe the story Mana had told her.

Swimming higher and higher over the ship, the princess swallowed thinly, and her heart pounded fearfully in her chest when she saw long stalks of kelp waving in the distance.

Yes, that was it, right?  
That was the kelp forest.  
Now, which way?

Scanning the ocean floor, Adina frowned, suddenly feeling quite scared.  
She was going to get in trouble for this.  
Whatever.

 _I'm the princess and future queen of everything. They can't punish me_ , she thought indignantly, and she swam aimlessly in a circle before she forced herself to pick a direction. East.

For what reason? She didn't know.  
It just felt like the way she should be going.  
Also, it was obviously the opposite way from home, so…east it was.

Setting her jaw in determination, Adina swam rapidly past the kelp forest and made sure to avoid the murky darkness in the middle, deciding instead to circle around the edge. All the stories were true about sharks who ate merpeople, so staying away from darkness was key.

 _I'll show them,_ she thought viciously, clenching her fists at her sides as she continued to power upwards through the water. _They think my father abandoned me! Well, I'll find him and prove them wrong!_

Water was weighing heavily down on her shoulders, so she had to slow down significantly.

Well, maybe if she found him, he would know she existed, and then he would come visit.  
And Atem would stop being so depressing and sad.  
And then she would yell at him, for abandoning her inside a cliff at somewhere called "Kaiba's Private Rock."

Panting heavily, Adina paused in the middle of the clear blue ocean, suddenly realizing she was lost.

There was nothing but a huge empty expanse of water above and below her.  
The silence was deafening.  
It was ringing horribly in her ears.

The ringing was actually the high whine of something shooting towards her like a torpedo. A blur of grey and white zoomed right at her, and the deafening roar of white water pounded in her ears as she shrieked in fear and covered her head.

Something bit down on her left fin and yanked her downwards strongly.

Opening her mouth to scream, Adina twisted around frantically to see a mother dolphin circling her, and chiding her with loud clicks, _"tsk tsk. A Hatchling! What are you doing so far from home?! Where is your mother? Your father? Your pod?!"_

"Wh-What was _that?!"_ Adina cried, staring at the stream of white water rippling above her head as the mysterious creature continued to travel further away at a frightening speed. "A shark?"

 _No, those were humans…in a boat!_ The dolphin replied anxiously, and her calf circled Adina's waist, nudging her elbows curiously to sniff at her jewelry.

"I see. Thank you. I'm going now," Adina whispered, trying to calm her rapidly pounding heart, but the dolphin wouldn't let her go.

 _I am swimming you home, young lady_ , the mother dolphin said, sounding angry before she addressed her own child. _Baby, go join our pod. Mommy is going somewhere and will be back soon._

The calf clicked and giggled obediently, giving Adina one last nudge before diving off into the clear blue water, and the princess marveled at how the water sparkled in beautiful patterns off the baby dolphin's back.  
Everything was so…pretty, and bright here!  
The surface wasn't at all like home!  
Mana had lied!

 _Come on, hatchling_ , the mother dolphin gave Adina a stern nudge on her back. _Are you lost? What colony are you from?_

"Kaiba's Private Rock," Adina said confidently, hoping her voice didn't shake, and to her surprise, the dolphin nodded.

 _I know just where that is. You're not far. Don't wander off again, you hear? I'm going to have a talk with your parents about this,_ the dolphin lectured, and Adina said nothing, choosing to nod and keep her mind blank just in case the dolphin discovered she was lying.

Dolphins were incredibly smart protectors; Adina knew that much. They were closely tied with the Council and all Guardians in the water. Better listen to this one and avoid getting into more trouble.

Swimming slowly beside the dolphin, Adina marveled at all the beautiful coral and clear sand underneath her, realizing she had never seen the world lit up so brightly like this before.

 _Hang onto my fin, little girl. I know you're tired from all that swimming,_ the mother said, and Adina gratefully wrapped her arm around the dolphin's top fin, enjoying the way her hair streamed away from her face every time they dove forwards.  
It was…exhilarating.  
The water here tasted different.  
It was clearer, and…sweeter?

The golden bands on her arms glittered prettily, and Adina couldn't stop staring at them. So…yellow.  
So shiny!

It was over too soon, and the dolphin slowed down and bucked her head up, staying beneath the waves.

 _There is your home_ , the dolphin said, nudging Adina towards the dark, towering cliffside. _I need to talk to your parents. You're in big trouble young lady._

"Um…I don't think you want to talk to him," Adina said quickly, thinking of a lie that would deter the dolphin. "He's actually a human right now. He's in the form of a strong warrior! He carries a spear and might stab you!"

 _I'd like to see him try!_ The dolphin scoffed. _I'll wait here. You better bring me your father, in any form, right now. I'm not leaving until I tell him what you did._

"Wh-What?" Adina squeaked nervously, and she wrung her hands. "What if he's…not home?"

 _Are you a bad girl?_ The dolphin asked coldly, and Adina's heart sank.

"N-No?" the princess whispered, now dreading her adventure to the surface completely. "I'm a good girl."

 _Good girls fetch their parents so they can learn what they did wrong. Go call one of them now_ , the dolphin said sternly, and when she saw Adina remain motionless in the water, she repeated herself. _Now, please. I'm waiting._

 _Oh crap,_ Adina thought nervously to herself.  
Maybe she could swim away and pretend like she didn't live here.  
No…. that wouldn't work. The dolphin would tell her entire pod, and they would eventually find out which colony she really came from.

Besides, there was no one here at Kaiba's Private Rock! Not one dwelling, not one soul.

 _I'm in trouble, I'm in trouble,_ Adina thought nervously, swimming closer to the giant rock and seeing a deep hole carved into it. _Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap._

Above water, sitting on the beach still half-submerged from the waist down, Kaiba slowly raised his head when he heard an unfamiliar female voice chanting 'crap' in merspeak repeatedly.

A messenger sent by Seth.  
Great.

Slowly rising to his feet, Kaiba waded over to the rock and stuck his hand mindlessly into the water, waiting for the octopus to curl its tentacle around his wrist to deliver the message.

This better be some good fucking news.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

! this princess sure shares a lot of traits with her hard-headed father.

chapter coming next week (july 1st!)

hugs,  
Ugli

my art | my tumblr


	48. Chapter 48

Adina blinked at the pale hand reaching down to her from above, and she stared at it, her heart thundering with fear and anxiety.  
A very pretty human hand!  
Who was this?!  
And why did they want a handshake?  
Was this a game? Or a way to communicate?

 _Young lady, what is taking you so long?!_

The dolphin's voice echoed from afar, and Adina ducked her head deeper underwater, hating everything. Contact with humans was forbidden!

 _Contact with humans is forbidden!_

Kaiba heard this and blinked rapidly, forcing himself to remain very still.  
Okay.  
Whoever in the water had seen his hand and didn't want to talk.  
It was not a messenger, but a merperson.

 _I'm swimming over there!_ The dolphin said firmly, and Adina shook her head furiously, shooting her arm upwards to grab the stranger's hand, thinking it was better to be found dead than caught in the middle of a lie.

She wrapped her hand tightly around three slender fingers and thought rapidly, _'Please help me! You have to pretend to be my father because I'm in trouble, and I swam too far away from home!'_

Kaiba stared down at the pale arm attached to the tiny, chubby hand that was hanging onto three of his fingers, nearly cutting off circulation, and his heart leapt into his throat.

Wow.  
A baby.  
No, maybe a mer-child around the age of…four? Or maybe she was five.

Whatever. It was a merbaby…who was in trouble?

"You got it champ," Kaiba said sarcastically, wishing the child would let go because his arm was burning so much, it felt like it was going to fall off, and his stomach was churning strangely.

The arm slowly disappeared back into the water, and Adina clutched her own hand to her chest, leaning against the cold rock and panting heavily. Her palm was burning and stinging with a strange feeling, and she wanted to…shake the human's hand again for some reason.

It felt nice. Her heart was warm.

Kaiba stared at the dark waves, searching intently for any sign of the child, but it seemed he or she had vanished. Did he have to jump down and freeze?  
The child didn't specify.  
Ah dammit. Noah was still in the house.  
He couldn't leave Noah unattended with that suspicious, robotic manservant, Kemo.  
Although he had a sneaking suspicion that the kid was probably inside enjoying the air conditioning and sneaking a few minutes on the TV.

Adina pushed off the rock and swam towards the dolphin who clicked impatiently at her.

 _Well?_ The mother asked sternly, and Adina couldn't stop her cheeks from burning as she nodded.

"He's coming," Adina replied nervously.  
Or maybe not.  
Please…maybe not.  
It was a human, not anyone actually related to her.

Kaiba climbed atop the rock, cursing as he kicked off his shoes and stripped off his shirt.  
Fuck this kid.  
He was going to lecture the fuck out of them for getting in trouble…right after bailing them out of trouble. Was this place like a rest stop now?  
Because it fucking wasn't.  
It was private property, dammit.

Deciding he'd think about it later, Kaiba took aim and dove down into the water with a practiced jump, instantly shivering as the water seeped into his ears and nose.

He gathered his bearings and treaded water carefully.  
After holding his breath for more than a minute, he saw a tiny pair of fins floating in the distance.  
This would be his first time encountering a mer-baby.  
Maybe this was fate.

Swimming steadily closer, Kaiba received a slight shock when a grey dolphin came zooming into his face and began lecturing him rapidly.

 _How dare you! Your child almost died!_ The dolphin's words mixed in strangely with clicking and merspeak, but Kaiba realized he could understand it perfectly, and that was startling him even more as the dolphin continued to yell at him.

 _Did you know I had to yank her down to avoid a passing boat? A propeller nearly took her head off! And you call yourself a parent! What is your name and status? I'm going to remember it and tell everyone to make sure they know!_

Stunned speechless, Kaiba opened and closed his mouth, seeing the mer-baby up close for the first time.

Her plumes of dark hair were floating around her, covering a rounded face, and a pair of angular blue eyes stared right back at him, blinking imploringly as if to say, _'Lie for me!_ '.  
She almost looked like a girl version of Mokuba.  
It was uncanny.

 _Yeah, totally…my bad,_ Kaiba said, making sure he was speaking the right language inside his head. _You don't need my name and rank. It won't happen again._

 _Oh I think I do,_ the dolphin raged, pointing a fin at the toddler-sized girl who was shrinking away behind her curtains of messy black hair. _She is a baby! She's barely weaned, and you're letting her swim out here alone? There are boats! And nets! I'm reporting you to the Council for improper parenting._

 _Wow, really? You're gonna do that?_ Kaiba raised his eyebrows threateningly, feeling slightly offended. He wasn't this kid's parent but being called a bad parent was…hurtful.

 _You bet I am,_ the dolphin replied icily. _Name and rank._

 _Right,_ Kaiba seethed, noticing that the kid was about to cry. _I'm King of…none of your damn business, from the colony of Leave My Kid Alone. I parent my kid, and you parent yours, got it? Now, fuck off before you get caught in someone's net and become dinner._

Adina's mouth dropped open and she raised her head to stare at the stranger for the first time through her curtains of hair.

He was a young man, with threatening, narrow eyes, sharp cheekbones, and light brown hair that sparkled in the sunlight.  
A…prince! From the stories!  
But he spoke like a villain.

 _H-How dare you,_ the dolphin sputtered, waving her fins in anger. _I'm patrolling this shore from now on. You can bet your fins on that! Good day and good riddance._

It turned around in a huff and swam off quickly.

 _Yeah? Well I know a fisherman who likes dolphin meat!_ Kaiba called after the dolphin's gray tail which was already several yards away. _Stay off my property!_

He waited until the dolphin was out of sight before he pulled himself up to the surface of the water to take a breath.

Coughing lightly, the saltwater stung his nose when he surfaced. The child jetted forward underwater in a blur and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

 _Thank you, thank you Mister!_ Adina cried, growing wonderfully happy all over as she continued to hug the merman with legs.

"Ow…yeah, you are in trouble, so don't thank me yet," Kaiba growled, prying the child's arms off his waist and swimming back to the rock. "Go home, or _I'll_ talk to your parents, and you won't like what I have to say."

Adina blinked and swam quickly after the human man, listening to the strange sounds dropping from his mouth.  
Another language!  
A shore language!  
But which one?

"I no understand," Adina said firmly in English. "Merspeak please."

"You _don't_ understand," Kaiba corrected, grabbing onto the rock hanging onto it to steady himself, changing tongues with fluidity. "Name and rank, now."

"W-What?" Adina squeaked, her heat sinking rapidly again. "But you saved me!"

"And if you were my kid, your ass would also be grass," Kaiba said, reminding himself to stop speaking Japanese. "You are in trouble. With everyone. Where do you live? I'll get someone to swim you back, right the fuck now."

"Oo, you said a bad word," Adina whispered, pressing a hand to her mouth. "The eff word."

Kaiba ground his teeth and gave the child a long stare.  
She floated in front of him excitedly, beaming.  
Golden bracelets decorated both her tiny arms, and her skin was very pale, complimenting her fins which were a magnificent, bright blue…very similar to Seth's…color….  
No…  
It couldn't be….  
No.  
Impossible.  
He'd heard news of his egg hatching barely two years ago.  
This little girl looked to be older than Noah…so it couldn't be her….

"Who else lives here?" The child asked impertinently, bobbing up and down as another wave came washing towards them.

 _No one,_ Kaiba replied in his head, realizing his voice had died, and his lungs were screaming for air, but he forced himself to stay submerged so he could continue staring into her wonderful…. beautiful…delicate face. Her cheekbones were high and rounded…like Atem's….  
And her eyes were angular and large…like Atem's….

"You know my dad?" The girl asked instantly, and Kaiba blinked, realizing his mind was being openly read.

Kaiba felt faint, and he let himself float upwards so he could gasp for air.

His heart thundered in his ears, and his entire body seared with a strange, magnificent fire.  
Holy fuck.  
Holy fuck.  
Atem was her dad…!  
Holy fuck.  
That meant…  
Holy fuck.

"What's wrong!" Adina cried, circling the man's waist anxiously as he clung onto the rock with one hand. "Stop saying the bad word! Are you suffo…. Suffo-Crating?"

 _Suffo…cating…_ Kaiba choked, taking a deep inhale and sinking beneath the water again, resisting the urge to pull the child into a tight embrace. She clearly…didn't know who he was, and he didn't know what _lies_ Atem's people had been spouting about him, so he had to tread carefully.

"Suffo-cating. I said that," Adina protested, frowning. "Tell me _your_ name and rank, and I'll tell you mine."

 _Oh, I already know_ , Kaiba managed a warm smile. _Princess of Snootyville, queen of all that you survey. Something like that, right?_

"You think I'm snooty?" The child repeated incredulously, and a few strands of her hair whipped Kaiba across his cheek when she tossed it over her shoulder haughtily. "You're mean. Just like those bullies at school!"

 _Whoa, wait. You're being bullied at school?_ Kaiba sobered up and felt an alien rage surge through his chest. _Does Atem know this?_ _Who are they and where do they live? I'll kill them all._

"No, you don't have to do that…they're my friends. They just say mean things sometimes," Adina said, smoothing her bracelets down her arms. "And it's not about me."

 _Then they're not your friends,_ Kaiba growled. _What do they say if it's not about you?_

"They say things like, 'your father abandoned you', or 'King Atem found you because your dad didn't want you,'" Adina recited in monotone. "But I don't believe them which is why I came here."

"To do what?" Kaiba asked, unable to stop himself from talking, or staring.  
She was…fascinating.  
She even sounded like himself when he was fed up with people.  
Genetics were scary.

"To see my birthplace," Adina said plainly, pointing at the cliffside in the distance. "Mana showed me in a memory. Somewhere over there."

"What happens when you go over there and realize it's just a bunch of rock?" Kaiba let his breath out slowly, seeing a stream of bubbles escape his lips, and he rose to the surface for more air before sinking down again.

To his rising horror, he realized she had vanished.  
She was already halfway to the cliffside, her bright blue fins flashing in the distance.

"Fuck, my fucking—" Kaiba grit his teeth and kicked off the rock to follow her closely.

She was so tiny! Barely the length of his arm.  
The dolphin had been right to shout at him.  
Would she be okay going back down by herself?!  
How could he contact someone to get her back down safely?

According to the bitchy dolphin, she'd almost been netted and or killed by a propeller.

He floated to a stop and watched her dig around the stalks of kelp, looking satisfied, and his heart wrenched painfully.  
He couldn't take it anymore.  
He had to tell her.  
…And say what?  
That he was the slimy shore-loving father who supposedly abandoned her?

"So this place…was not a lie, but everything else…was," Adina said slowly, feeling tears well up behind her eyes, and she couldn't bring herself to turn around, because she could feel the presence of the warrior merman floating behind her, watching her cry.

"How do you know you're being lied to?" Kaiba asked, carefully reaching out to her, wondering if she would willingly hold his hand again. "Maybe, whatever they're saying…is for your own good."

"Because," Adina folded her arms and flashed the handsome merman a glare. "Nobody says his name. Or talks about what he looks like. Just how I'll know ' _when I'm older'_ , and I'm sick of it cuz I wanna know _now_!"

In his mind's eye, Kaiba almost saw her stamp her foot…if she had a foot.

Oh boy. Tantrum time.

"A-And now I'm i-in…so much t-trouble…because…a s _-stupid_ _dolphin guardian_ _caught me!"_ Adina shrieked, feeling tears well up behind her eyes and sting her lower lids. "Y-You can't e-even help me find my daddy…on land…c-cuz you're suffo-crating! And you made the dolphin mad! We're _b-both_ in trouble now!"

Kaiba set his jaw and said nothing, letting her cry it out.  
He was pretty angry himself, given all the news he was learning about how no one spoke his name, but it seemed to be causing her a different kind of pain, so he set aside his own anger to listen to her yell.

"And I'm lossssst," Adina whined, pressing her hands to her face, bawling. "I d-dunno how to get back!"

She leaned against the cliffside and began to sob bitterly, and Kaiba watched as bright, pearly tears flowed from her eyes and sank down into the darkness beneath them.  
He wanted to pull her into a hug so badly, but he noticed that her claws were extremely sharp and untrimmed. One swipe across his face, and it could scar him.  
His lungs were also burning for air.

He bobbed his head up and took a deep breath before sinking down again, hearing Noah shouting in his head.

SETO! WHERE ARE YOU?!

 _Ugh,_ Kaiba palmed his face and didn't answer, but the princess heard this and perked up, brushing her tears away excitedly.

"A boy!" She cried, gazing up at the sparking water above their heads, and Kaiba's eyelid twitched.

This was not happening.

He was not going to let Noah see a mermaid and have that ruin his little life too.  
Also, would they be considered cousins?

Shit shit shit….

"Oh, there you are! Hey, I'm going to watch TV, okay? I'm hot, and I'm bored."

Kaiba froze and glanced around, narrowing his eyes at the bright blue fins swishing back and forth underneath the water by the rock, and he realized Seth was playing the part for him.

Oh fuckkkk….

"DADDY!" Adina shrieked, kicking off the cliff and zooming towards Seth, but Kaiba caught her by the arm just in time, keeping her underwater.

"Wh—LET GO OF ME YOU WEIRDO!" She struggled and kicked mightily, but Kaiba hung on with equal strength and determination.

"That's not your dad!" Kaiba whispered, pressing a finger to his lips and leaning against the cliff, his entire body shaking with unwanted adrenaline. "Stop screaming, or the boy on shore will hear you, and then you're really dead meat, you got that?"

"Let go…!" The princess whimpered, staring down at the large, pale hand wrapped around her wrist, and her arm burned with a strange fire at the man's touch. "I don't believe you! You're meanie-liar-liar-fins-on-fire! He has the same color as me, and no one has the same color as me back at home! That's my daddy! You're a liar! Let go!"

Adina swallowed thinly and craned her neck at the faceless merman who was floating by the rock, still talking to the boy on shore. That had to be her dad.  
He was showing his face to a human!

"Go ahead and watch the TV," Seth said, trying to sound like Seto, but he wasn't sure how Seto sounded when talking to this child, so he took a guess.

"You sound weird," Noah said perceptively, inching around the rock to get a better look at Seto, but he couldn't see around it.

"What? No, you're weird," Seth said, trying to mimic Seto's coldness, but his voice shook slightly. "Go away now, you're being annoying. I said you could watch the TV already."

"Um, I didn't even do anything to be annoying! What's wrong with you?" Noah's voice sounded faint, and Adina struggled furiously against Kaiba's grip, gathering her spit behind her teeth.  
She could feel it burning her tongue, so she whipped her head around to shoot it at the merman, who, to her rising horror, angled his head to the side and dodged her with terrifying precision.

Instead, her acidic saliva hit the rock over his shoulder, melting a chunk of it off the cliff.

 _Did you just…spit at me, you little brat?!_ Kaiba fumed, wondering if Atem had raised her to be this spunky or if it was purely genetics at fault. _Who taught you how to do that? You are so grounded!_

 _Leggo, leggo! Or I'mma scratch you_! The princess screamed, already clawing at Kaiba's arm and drawing streams of blood, which was clouding the water around them, but Kaiba hung on tightly, bearing through the pain and refusing to let go.  
She could claw his arm to the bone and he'd still hold on.  
He'd be damned if he let Noah see her without an explanation.

There was silence behind the rock, so Noah rolled his eyes and stomped back towards the house, faintly recalling mom and dad having a whispered conversation about how Uncle Seto was a bad example, but he was family…so they had to be understanding of his…condition.

 _What condition?_ Noah grumbled, marching back up the boardwalk and sliding the glass door open, kicking his shoes off at the bevel. Didn't matter. At least he got permission to be inside with the TV.

Seth breathed a sigh of relief and dipped back down under the water, seeing a cloud of blood floating in the distance, and his stomach tightened with fear and dread.

Was Seto bleeding?! It sure smelled like it.  
What a way to welcome a brother home.

 _Seto! I'm coming!_ Seth cried, powering through the water towards the cloud of blood, and he heard a young girl's voice shout back at him.

 _Daddy! Help me! This bad man won't let me go!_

 _Oh…_ Seth floated to a halt and fanned the bloody water away with his fin, seeing a disheveled Kaiba wrestling with a tiny hatchling who was putting up a magnificent fight, leaving deep scratches all down Kaiba's bare chest and upper arms as he tried to restrain her from swimming upwards.

 _A kidnapping?!_ Seth cried, and Kaiba finally let go, feeling a tail whip him in the chest so hard, it knocked the air out of him, and thick bubbles exploded from his nose and mouth as he coughed.

"DADDY! You didn't abandon me!" Adina cried, and she threw her arms around Seth's waist, feeling the man stiffen, and her body grew so cold, it made her heart clench strangely.  
W-What? D-Did this man not recognize her?!

But the fins were the same color!

Adina stared down into the water at the tips of their bright blue fins waving to and fro in the soft waves, her confusion and disappointment rising. She had come all this way…to meet a stranger…who only shared the color of her fins, and nothing else.

Speechless, Seth gave the child a few awkward pats on her back while Seto coughed violently, slowly gathering his bearings and cursing fluently in Japanese.

"Ah…Princess Adina, we meet at last," Seth said warmly, reaching down to pry away the little arm's from around his waist, but the child clung onto him stubbornly, sounding close to tears.

"You don't recognize me?!" She cried tearfully, squishing her cheek against his bare stomach and desperately wishing for warmth. "But you're my daddy! How could you hate me?! How could you leave me here in the middle of nowhere?! I'm so mad at you, you stinky sea urchin!"

 _Language!_ Seth admonished, now struggling to pull the girl off of him, but she had an iron grip. _I haven't gone down to see you because…_ your father _…didn't want you to get us confused. You see, Seto? This only made it worse. You shouldn't have kept me away from her!_

Taking deep gulps of saltwater, Kaiba shut his eyes and hung onto the cliff, willing the bloody gashes on his arm to heal, but all they did was sting terribly.  
Did that little brat use a poisonous scratch?! Holy hell.  
He had a little demon spawn on his hands.

"I hate you! I hate you!" Adina choked, crushing Seth's ribs as she squeezed tighter. "Give me answers, you slime ball!"

"Where did you learn words like that?!" Seth cried, bobbing up and down in an oncoming wave as he felt sharp claws dig into his back and begin to draw blood. "Ow! That hurts, you little—let go of me! Seto, _help!_ I am not your father!"

"YES YOU ARE! NO MORE LYING!" Adina shouted, unable to see anything through the horrible blur of her tears.

Strong arms scooped her up from behind, prying her off the merman, so Adina kicked and screamed stubbornly, her claws dragging down Seth's sides as she attempted to cling onto him.

Seth let out a pained yell and doubled over in agony, clutching his sides as Seto finally managed to detangle him from the hatchling, and he watched through the hazy, bloody water as Seto hefted the little girl on his shoulder and swam to the beach.

Gasping for breath, Seth shut his eyes and began to heal rapidly, hating how the wounds stung with poison. What a fighter. Thankfully, he was immune to her because they were family, but if someone else's child had clawed him like this, he would need several moons of detoxification in a healing pod.

This kid needed discipline!  
Was Atem letting her do whatever she wanted? It sure seemed like it.  
This was _not_ future queen behavior.  
And this whole time, he'd thought that it was better that Seto didn't parent her.

Letting a wave push him to shore, Seth saw Kaiba drag the hatchling onto the wet sand and stand over her, looking beside himself with fury and distress.

Adina gazed up at the tall human fearfully. His shadow panned over her fins, causing terror to sear through her chest as he towered over her, blocking out the sun while he planted his feet down on either side of her body.

With blood dripping down his toned, shirtless body, he looked positively evil, almost like…he was going to kill…something.

"So," Kaiba said shrewdly, fully aware that he was terrifying the kid, but he didn't care. He needed to make a point. "You swam all this way, nearly got yourself killed, just so you can scratch a couple strangers to death. Is that what you want? Where are your manners? You can't expect to accomplish anything like this if you kill everyone you meet."

"S-Sorry-y…?" Adina squeaked, unable to tear her gaze away from the horrible scratches she'd made across the man's pale chest. His blood was a deep, emerald green. Like a merperson's.  
But he had legs.  
Was this scary man her real daddy?  
He looked exactly like the other merman, but…he had legs!

"Sorry for what?" Kaiba challenged, folding his arms across his bloody chest, glaring down at her and feeling his heart thump furiously. "Apologize properly."

"Sorry for…almost getting killed…and for scratching a couple of strangers to death," Adina repeated boldly, inching up in the sand, trying to get away from the two legs planted down on either side of her, but Seto caught onto this and tensed.

She felt him tense, and she froze, swallowing thinly when she saw the other merman ride a shallow wave and roll onto the sand beside them, shaking his long, wet hair out of his face.

"You're scaring her," Seth breathed, nursing the three gashes on his arm that was slowly healing. "That'll make for a bad imprint. She apologized already. Don't be too hard on her."

"Apologize directly to Uncle Seth," Kaiba said coldly, seeing the girl brush a clump of black hair away from her cheek and shoot him a defiant glare with a pair of the clearest, most striking blue eyes he'd ever seen.

 _Do_ my _eyes look like that?_ Kaiba wondered faintly while the little girl glanced half-heartedly at Seth and said, "sorry uncle Seth. You're not my uncle. I don't know you."

"You still don't get it?" Kaiba cried, on the brink of losing it. "Look at me! Apologize for spitting at my face. You _never_ ever spit in people's faces. You will blind them, you understand?!"

Adina's lower lip trembled, and she realized she was actually being yelled at. For real.  
No one at home ever yelled at her like this.  
Not even Atem, or granddaddy.  
This man was mean!

"Atem or granddaddy," Seth echoed incredulously, wringing out his hair as it began to dry in the sun. "Yikes. She calls Atem by his name. Did they even bond? This could explain why—"

"Seth, shut up," Kaiba raged, staring down at the tiny girl, and his mind raced, wondering what the hell he ought to do.  
This was her!  
This was really her!  
She had…swam all this way, just to see him!  
But he needed to hold off on the tearful reunion because she was apparently growing up to be a tiny monster. It had only been three and half years by his count, and according to their colony's Medic, the child should still be an infant, in the nursing stage of life.

This little girl lying on the beach in front of him looked like a disheveled, bratty three-year old.

Did merbabies age this fast?

Atem's messengers were usually unhelpful updates about her development, saying things like, _'she's thinking about you quite a_ _lot'_ , but apparently…she thought about it enough to act on it.

"I'm sorry! Please don't kill me, or an _army_ will come to kill _you!_ " Adina cried, pressing her hands to her face to cry loudly. "Let me go, or I'll scream! I'll scream really loud and you'll have to swim me back home! _"_

Kaiba unfolded his arms and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards into a smile, feeling a surge of pride. Nice threats.

"Oh, no…. Don't scream, please, please," Seth muttered, already covering his ears. "Seto, do something. Don't just stand there."

Finally, Kaiba relented and stepped aside to kneel in the soft sand beside her.  
He leaned forward and pulled her into a tight hug, tucking his chin over the top of her wet hair, feeling his heart ache with relief.  
Just this once, he'd let her make those threats, but if he let it continue unchecked, she'd keep getting her way with no discipline.

"Don't…touch me…" The princess hiccupped as a wonderful blanket of warmth enveloped her, and made her eyes begin to sting with tears. "…Y-You weirdo."

The human didn't let up, and instead, the arms tightened reassuringly around her body, and she could feel his deep, resounding heartbeat thumping in synch with her own.  
Adina blinked, and slowly raised her arms to lock around the mystery merman's neck, and the blood rushed to head too fast, making her dizzy with happiness.

Hugging this man felt good!  
It only felt half this good when hugging Atem, or Mana….

Pulling away slowly, Kaiba's body seared with relief and joy as he gazed into her rounded face, gently brushing aside a strand of black hair that stuck to her damp cheek.

Adorable. She had the shape of Atem's large eyes, which were framed beautifully with dark lashes.

 _"You_ are my daddy?" Adina whispered, reaching a chubby hand out to touch the top of the handsome man's head, feeling his light brown hair bunching underneath her fist.

"Then…Ambassador Shadi lied to me. I've seen pictures of sixty-year-old humans, and you don't look like any of them," Adina said curiously, her ears ringing with a strange sound as she gazed into the man's clear blue eyes that were the same color as her own. "Why do you have brown hair? Why do I have black hair? Why does Uncle Seth look exactly like you? When can you come home? Are you done with Under Work yet?"

"Yeah…I'm…almost…done with work," Kaiba choked, brushing the backs of his knuckles tenderly against her perfectly rounded cheeks, his heart soaring with love. "Do you really think I'm a slimy sea urchin? You think I abandoned you? Who the hell told you that?"

"Language," Seth muttered, but he was ignored.

"I hear people say it," Adina replied, throwing herself forward to wrap her arms around Kaiba's neck, squeezing him so tightly, he saw green spots in his eyes. "Now I know Mana was telling the truth. She said you're trapped in a human body!"

Kaiba found that he couldn't say anything, so he contented himself with hugging her back.  
He didn't want to let go. She was a warm bundle of joy clinging onto him for support, and he was a shitty person for not being there for her the moment she was born.

"Very nice," Seth commented, rolling onto his stomach to prop his head up on his hands, watching Seto hug his daughter. "She's inherited your inquisitive mind, your fighting spirit, and your stubbornness."

"Do I ask too many questions?" Adina continued, pulling away to gaze tearfully into Seto's face and taking in his pale skin, his clear blue eyes, and his sharp cheekbones which dipped down into a sculpted jaw. "You look like…a prince from my storybook. Are those stories based on real events? Why does everyone keep lying to me about you? You don't look like a bad man."

"Is that what they're saying about me?" Kaiba asked gently, moving to sit beside her, using his shadow to shield her from the sun, which was hanging low in the sky, but it was still quite hot.

"Not telling is the same as lying," the princess said stubbornly, crossing her bracelet adorned arms across her chest. "I'm not going home anymore! Everyone there is a liar!"

"Oh boy," Seth muttered, throwing Kaiba a nervous glance, but his twin was fixated on his child.

"When was the last time someone trimmed these for you?" Kaiba asked, glossing over her questions and splaying her tiny hand out in his. "These are horrible, and they hurt people. Get them cut."

"I don't wanna," she shot back, curling her fingers warmly into his hand. "I don't like it when Priestess Isis does it for me. Mana takes too long, and Atem also takes too long. I get bored."

"And when was the last time someone properly did your hair?" Seth chimed in, reaching forward to lift a piece of her clumpy hair off her damp shoulder. "You're a princess for Helios' sake. Look like one, please."

"I'm prettier than everyone. Isn't that enough?" Adina asked curiously, and Kaiba bit the tip of his tongue, feeling a laugh climbing up his chest. He had never seen other merchildren before, so he assumed they were probably just as pretty as other merpeople, but he sure admired her ego.

"Stay here, I'll get some supplies," Kaiba said, rising to his feet and scanning the beach for his shirt. "Seth, watch her. I'll be right back."

"Understood," Seth replied blithely, patting the sand beside him. "Come sit next to me, Princess. Tell me all about school and what you're learning about our history."

Kaiba threw one last look over his shoulder, his heart warming happily as he took large strides across the beach. He found his shirt discarded on a dry log, and he threw it around his neck, glancing down at himself to make sure he wasn't still bleeding.

The wounds had shrunk, but the gashes were now dark scabs, still in the stages of healing.

Letting out a huff of pride, Kaiba strode up the boardwalk and into the house, sneaking past the couch behind Noah, whose eyes were glued to the screen while a superhero in a robot suit flew through the air.

A bowl of ice cream was melting in his lap, and the spoon was hanging loosely off his fingers.

Cute.

Edging into the hallway, Kaiba ran nose-first into Kemo, and the manservant towered over him, his eyes hidden by the dark glasses he always wore on his face.

"Master Kaiba," the man said, unfazed by the gashes on his bare chest. "Do you need a first-aid kit?"

"No. Stay out of my way and tell Noah to eat the ice cream before it melts," Kaiba growled, pushing past the man and shutting himself in his room.  
Man, fuck that guy.  
He was seriously suspicious, and there was nothing Kaiba could do about it until Kemo actually did something wrong.

Approaching his desk, he shoved his hands into the lowest drawer, searching for the nail file and clippers he kept there, along with a dosage of liquified slugs, and the jewelry box with Atem's earrings.

Atem's earrings.  
Did she have her ears pierced? Time to check.

He hastened to open the safe in the closet too, making sure to slip a necklace and bracelet into his pocket. He'd had these made for her, unsure of when she would need them, and he was glad she was clearly intelligent enough to swim up here to see him, so he had to shower her with all the gifts he'd saved up over the years.

Stopping inside the bathroom, he made sure to pick up a brush for hair and a clean shoe brush he kept in the same drawer due to his weird, new grooming instincts.  
He now understood why he'd been doing that.  
It had all been for this very moment.

Hurrying out of the room, Kaiba glared one last time at Kemo, who was putting the ice cream back in the refrigerator before he stepped out of the house and raced down the boardwalk, back to where Seth and Adina were sitting in the shadow of the large rock, fanning their fins in the waves.

"Welcome back, Daddy!" Adina sang happily, holding her hands out to him as if asking for another hug. "Don't cut my nails. I don't like it."

Kaiba bent down and pulled her into a tight hug, feeling his head rush wonderfully with happiness again, and he buried his nose into her damp hair, letting her unique scent wash over him comfortingly.  
She hugged him back with equal vigor, her laugh ringing wonderfully in his ears.  
He really felt a connection with her.  
It was…hard to explain.

"Oh, good, a brush! Now…hair, is my specialty," Seth winked, and he snatched the hairbrush away from Kaiba. "We need some pretty kelp, so I'm going to dive for some. I'll be right back."

"Bye," Adina waved her chubby hand at Seth, who waved back energetically and disappeared into an oncoming wave.

"Hand," Kaiba said stiffly, already reaching for her hand, and she didn't fight him. She waved her fins against a wave and giggled happily, enjoying the way her fins sparkled clear blue under the light.

"Daddy, does the sun hurt?" She asked, and Kaiba bent his head down, getting to work on her pinky nail first, because holy shit, it was fucking sharp.

"It hurts if you stay in it too long," Kaiba answered, clipping the tip with practiced ease and running the file down against it. "Sunburn will happen, and your skin will turn grey and shed a gross film. You'll burn after 720 heartbeats, so start counting if the sun hurts when it touches your skin."

"Oh, okay," she said plainly, her eyes darting left and right across the beach, taking all the sights in at once. "Is the sun always up here? How come I can't see this light when I'm at home?"

"You're too deep," Kaiba replied instantly, working on her forefinger and filing it down with steady strokes. "' _One sunlit day'_ as merpeople call it, is 1200 heartbeats. That's twelve human hours, and depending on your colony, the sun isn't always shining the entire time. Get Atem to let you visit a surface colony and we'll get to spend more time together. I can't go down to that depth without suffering a headache, but Seth can bring you up here to visit."

"Will I get burned if I stay in a surface colony?" She asked, tilting her head curiously to the side and wiggling her fingers happily in Kaiba's grasp.

"Don't move—and no," Kaiba said quietly, his heart warming at all the wonderful questions she was spouting. "The UV is significantly weaker, and you'd be indoors. But hey, yes, you would still get burned if you spent way too much time outside."

"What's UV?" She asked, keeping her fingers extremely stiff, making it easier for him to drag the file down on each of her nails. "I like that you tell me the truth, Daddy. The only one I can trust is you and Uncle Seth."

"Ultraviolet rays," Kaiba replied gently, turning her hand over to inspect her palm, making sure her nails were all the same length. "That's what the rays from the sun are called. That is what burns you."

"Is that what humans call it, or is that what everyone calls it?" Adina asked perceptively, and Kaiba smiled, giving her a pat on the head after finishing her one hand.

"Everyone calls it that," Kaiba replied, his heat swelling with joy when she smiled at him and examined her manicured hand happily.

"Fine, maybe it's a little better like this," she said, nodding, and she jumped in fright when Seth rolled onto shore riding a wave with bunches of kelp covering his arms and shoulders.

Adina shrunk back and clung onto Kaiba's arm, crying out, "EW! YUCK!"

"Be quiet, you don't want to be heard," Kaiba said automatically, instantly reminding himself of Mahad. "Seth, what the hell."

"That's not how you say, _'thank you,_ ' Princess," Seth protested, untangling the kelp from his neck and arms. "Trust the process. It looks odd now, but I promise it'll look good."

The little girl crossed her arms and glared apprehensively at the colorful wet kelp. Everyone was always trying to do stuff with her hair, and Uncle Seth was apparently no different. Maybe it was okay because Uncle Seth looked exactly like Daddy, and they probably shared the same thoughts.

"First, we lay these out to check the length of each one," Seth said, talking to himself, and Adina turned back to Kaiba, wiggling her other, untrimmed hand.

"This one now," she said happily, and Seth looked surprised.

"What happened to, 'I hate being trimmed'?"

"I like it when Daddy does it," she replied, pouting cutely. "I'm not bored, and he go very fast."

"Speed is the key," Kaiba said blithely, smiling to himself as he reached for her other hand. "Pinky first. Hold it out for me."

Adina stuck out her pale hand and let her father clip the tip of her pinky nail down and apply the file to it vigorously.

Uncle Seth was approaching her with the hairbrush, looking like an evil manta ray with a shadow covering his face as he loomed over her excitedly.

"Don't touch my hair! I'll bite you," Adina bared her fangs, and received an annoyed hiss from Kaiba at her side.

"Be nice. Let Uncle Seth fix your hair unless you want to look like a peasant," Kaiba snapped, wondering why he suddenly sounded so pretentious. "If you're royalty, you better look the part, and act the part, or you'll make us all look bad. Do you want the Council to think that we're incompetent?"

"No," Adina said plainly, and Seth chuckled in amusement.

"Seto, you sound exactly like those irritating dolphins," Seth grinned, and he gently placed the brush atop Adina's head, struggling to pull it through. "Wow, Princess. Do you never let anyone brush your hair? Why keep it this long if it's going to be tangled and messy?"

"I said I'll bite you!" Adina cried, and she received another irritated hiss from her father.

"Let him do it one time, and if you hate it, we'll cut your hair," Kaiba said simply, running the nail file over her thumb which stiffened significantly at his words.

"Cut my hair?! Noooo!" She whined. "Ow, Uncle, that hurts! OW! Stop pulling so hard!"

Seth rolled his eyes and continued to work at detangling her hair. Her bad temperament explained why no one could touch her or even get near her.

"The key is to do it every day or put it in braids, so it won't get everywhere," Seth lectured, beginning to also feel like a mother dolphin. "You look like a demon with all this hair everywhere. If you had brushed your hair daily, or let Mana help, this wouldn't be an issue."

"Mana is a liar!" The princess pouted, shrinking her hand away from Kaiba and examining her nails with interest.

"Don't call people names," Seth muttered, finally working free of a knot and dragging the brush all the way through her hair. "There we go. It'll be less painful now."

The princess winced and said nothing.  
It was oddly nice being tended to like this.  
It felt different from when Mana and Atem tried to do her hair and nails.

It also felt different from that one time she had been taken to a salon where three ladies were floating around her head, fussing over her hair, fins, and hands.

After throwing a screaming tantrum and scratching at least two of the hairdressers, Adina remembered being rushed back into the palace by a red-faced Atem and a tearful Mana.

"I'm bored," she announced loudly, and to her rising curiosity, Kaiba picked up a different brush and knelt at the end of her fins to begin running it down the side of her hip.

"That…tickles," Adina giggled, waving her fins at Kaiba, and a pale hand rested on the base of her tail.

"Stay still. Looks like no one has ever cleaned you here either," Kaiba privately fumed, dragging the brush down her side again and hearing her giggle excitedly.

"It tickles! It tickles!" followed quickly by, "Ow, Uncle Seth, that still hurts! You liar!"

"People aren't all liars," Kaiba said instantly, wanting to nip this blame-intensive language in the bud.

"True, they could be saying it to protect you," Seth added, lifting up sections of her black hair and laying the kelp at the very top, letting it drape down the sides of her face. "Red is a good color in your hair."

"EW…. Get it off my face…Daaaaddyyy," Adina's lower lip trembled and Kaiba raised his head to give her a reassuring smile.

"We wouldn't have to do it all at once if you weren't so difficult," Kaiba said firmly, scaping the stray scales off his palms in disgust and laying them in a large pile in the sand. "No more fighting with people who want to help you, even if they don't tell you what you want to hear. You'll always find out anyway, right? Like today."

"Yeah," Adina nodded vehemently, agreeing. "Like today—ow! Uncle Seth—!"

"Brush one-hundred strokes every time you wake up, and this won't be a painful endeavor," Seth said, setting his jaw firmly and combing out another section of hair to braid in a strand of red kelp.

"Done," Kaiba announced proudly, pointing at the grey stack of dead scales in the sand, and the princess wrinkled her nose at it.

"Yuck. Why is everything so yucky?"

"Because you are a dirty and you've never let anyone groom you properly!" Seth cried, plaiting another thick strand of hair down the princess's shoulder. "I need to have a little _talk_ with Mana and Atem about this."

"Don't blame them, blame me," Kaiba said simply, moving to sit beside Adina and resting his hand over hers in the sand. "…For not being there to take care of her myself."

Adina gazed into her father's face with shining eyes, and she moved to throw her arms around him in a hug, but a firm tug from a braid on the left side of her head made her eyes water, so she stayed still.

"How do I make people believe me?" Adina asked, her voice growing hoarse with emotion as she clung onto Kaiba's arm and gave him a tight squeeze. "You _do_ love me, and you didn't abandon me!"

"People will believe what they want to believe," Seth said gently, finishing the last braid and setting it gently down onto her shoulder. "Just know that right now, your father and I are working very hard to find a Chrysalis so he can come home. Now, are you hungry or thirsty? It's almost time to go back. We've been out here for too long, and it's a hot day today."

"Wh-What? I'm n-not leaving!" She blubbered, clinging onto Kaiba's arm tearfully and gazing up at him with misty eyes. "Daddy, I wanna live up here with you! Are you mad at Atem? Why don't you ever come down to see me? And why does he never come here to see you?!"

There was a long silence, and Seth looked away quickly to avoid eye contact with her.

Kaiba's heart clenched with guilt, so he drew her into a warm hug, trying to summarize the situation as simply as possible, "A bad pact was made that keeps Atem underwater. It will expire in a hundred years, and I'm stuck up here because I can't access a Chrysalis to grow fins."

"A hundred years?!" Adina echoed incredulously, her eyes glowing with unshed tears. "That's too long!"

"It's been in effect for a while now, so there's about fifty years left, don't worry," Kaiba said lightly, realizing how bad this sounded when he finally said it aloud. "Uncle Seth will bring you up here to visit me as much as you want."

"Why have I never met Uncle Seth before?!" Adina raged, her face turning pink with frustration. "Did you hide from me? I hear people saying Uncle Seth is in hiding!"

"Now _that's_ a bad rumor," Seth said darkly, his eyes gleaming with anger. "I've been travelling as a Merchant, and I have a sales team to do that now. No one is hiding from anyone. I've never met you because Seto and I discussed how you'd get us confused, and look, that's exactly what happened."

"Yes, but I know _you're_ not my daddy," Adina said impertinently, turning her nose in the air. "No tricks. I can't be tricked."

"Definitely not," Kaiba smiled proudly, patting her head and appreciating the way her braids felt under his palm. "Seth, thank you. It looks really good, don't you think so, kid?"

"Maybe," Adina grumbled, crossing her arms irritably and flopping her fins against a swirling wave that lapped against the sand. "I don't wanna go home, and you can't make me!"

Kaiba tensed and felt an oncoming tantrum, and it seemed Seth did as well.

"Yes, you want to go home…to show everyone how pretty you look," Seth said encouragingly, throwing Kaiba a panicked look over her head that said, _'What now?!'._

The three of them sat together in tense silence, watching a couple waves come and go before Kaiba turned and gave the child a small smile.

"How about a present?" He suggested, reaching into his pocket for the jewelry. "A very special present, because I owe you tons of them."

Adina brightened up instantly and clapped her hands, nodding, "Yes! Daddy owes me a lot of presents!"

Seth sagged against the sand, looking exhausted, and Kaiba smirked, slipping out a thin golden necklace with diamonds strung evenly along the lengthy chain, and her eyes widened.

"Give!" She squealed, holding her hands out happily for it, and Kaiba swung it back on his fingers, just out of her reach.

"This goes…in your hair," he said cleverly, eyeing Seth over her head. "You can only wear this if you keep your hair brushed."

"Okay! Yes! I will do that!" She cried, patting her head regally with her tiny palms. "Put it here now! I wanna look pretty!"

"Thank…god," Seth breathed, accepting the delicate golden chain from Seto and used another strand of kelp to tuck it into the princess's neatly braided hair. "Wow, look at that! It suits you!"

Kaiba leaned back to admire Seth's handiwork, feeling another affectionate surge of pride.

She looked absolutely stunning.  
Her ears were still in the shape of fins, so they stuck out adorably from the sides of her rounded cheeks, and the golden chain complimented her dark hair wonderfully while tear-drop diamonds decorated her forehead in a thin, glittering circle.

"Now you look like a princess," Kaiba said warmly, giving her cheek a soft pat.  
They were so soft and irresistible.  
She needed to stay this size forever.

"I know," she puffed proudly, patting the golden chain in her hair and holding out one chubby hand in the air. "Next present please!"

"Wh-Wh—this child is unbelievable!" Seth gasped, but Kaiba was prepared for this.

He slipped the tiny bracelet out of his pocket and let her snatch it out of his hands to admire the glittering gems in the sunlight.

 _Pretty, pretty…. So pretty!_ She chanted in her head and began to clumsily fasten it onto her own arm.

Pale hands slid into her view and helped adjust the bracelet onto her wrist, and she threw her arm up towards the sky, watching tiny rainbows dance and sparkle off the surface of the white gems, her heart soaring with happiness.

This beat granddaddy's presents.  
This was better than everyone's presents, ever!

"Uncle Seth will have a present for you next time," Seth said hopefully, and the princess barely acknowledged him with glance, answering simply with, "Sure!"

Kaba snickered and reached into his other pocket for the box containing Atem's earrings before stopping himself when he realized her ears weren't even formed yet.

Seth noticed this odd movement and threw him a wide-eyed glance, "Another present?!"

"YAY! Daddy is the best!" Adina shouted, pulling Kaiba into a crushing hug and squealing happily.

"Well, this is definitely for when your ears have lobes," Kaiba said warmly, pulling out the box and showing it to her. "So you have to keep visiting me to show me those ears, okay?"

"I'm visiting you every day!" She cried, and Kaiba's heart wrenched painfully.  
Yeah, she could dream.  
They could all dream about that.  
He had a feeling that once she returned to Atem, an army would be rising to shore to murder him for kidnapping, or something ridiculous like that.

"Daddy? What's wrong?" She was perceptive, and patted his cheek gently with a sand-covered hand. "Don't worry. I will like it no matter what."

Seth sat awkwardly beside them in silence, watching this with bated breath.

"These actually came from…your grandmother," Kaiba said, now desperately wishing Atem could be here to see this. "Open it gently to see…"

She picked up the box carefully with two hands and lifted the cover, staring at the wing-shaped earrings sporting the stones with the sparkling blue cores sitting in the satin folds, and she smiled happily.

"Ear jewelry!" She cried excitedly, accidentally splashing Seth with her tail as she waved it too hard against a foamy wave that lapped at the tips of their fins. "This is a big-girl present! I'm not big enough to wear this yet."

"So now you know," Kaiba said carefully, ignoring the panicked looks from Seth. "…That even if the piercings hurt, you'll get to wear these."

"Mana says it don't hurt," Adina said stubbornly, gazing longingly down into the box. "Atem says it don't hurt too."

"Doesn't hurt," Kaiba corrected. "And don't call him by his first name. He's your dad too."

"Alright, we should be getting back," Seth said anxiously, eyeing the setting sun. "I'm drying out, so I imagine you must be dry too, princess. Everyone will be wondering where you are. You can't tell them you were up here with us, okay? It has to be a secret."

"I like keeping secrets," Adina said happily, letting her father take the box away from her and set it aside in the sand. "I won't tell anybody! Promise!"

"Well, you can tell Atem, but make sure no one is around when you do," Kaiba instructed, wondering if he was ruining the kid by making her savvy to deception at such a young age.

"Come now, let's swim back carefully so we don't ruin that hair we worked so hard to fix," Seth said warmly, holding his hand out for her to grab, and she shook her head vehemently.

"NO! No. Not…going…home!"

A muscle jumped in Seth's cheek, and he looked to his twin for help.

Kaiba was prepared for this moment too.  
He patted his pocket to make sure he had the dosage of slugs inside the syringe before he rose to his feet and picked her up gently, carrying her into the water.

"Yay, Daddy is coming with me," she said happily, looping he arms around his neck, and Kaiba grit his teeth silently, deciding it was best not to answer.

He felt Seth brush him by as he dove in ahead of them, and Kaiba eased her into a shallow wave, feeling her kick off against his forearms strongly for momentum.

Taking a deep breath, he dove in after her and found that she was waiting for him in shallow waters, darting back and forth with energy underneath the waves, her jewelry gleaming in the orange sunlight shining down from the sunset above.

"This way, this way!" She called happily, and Seth appeared on her other side, flanking her safely.

 _I thought you didn't know the way back,_ Kaiba thought to her, and she laughed devilishly in response.

 _Hehe! I know some of the way back,_ she grinned, and Kaiba caught a dark look from Seth over the top of her head.

Yes, he knew this was a dirty trick, but how else were they going to get her home without a fight?

Damn. His lungs were already burning for air and it hadn't even been three whole minutes. The water pressure was compressing around his head so tightly, it was making him dizzy. Fuck.

 _Seth…I can't go any deeper,_ Kaiba thought weakly, and his twin gave the child a bright smile to distract her.

 _Want to see where I live?_ Seth asked, and predictably, the child nodded happily.

 _Hey…I need some air. I'll be right back,_ Kaiba said as casually as he could muster, and to his relief, Adina waved at him with a chubby, bracelet-adorned hand, "Okay Daddy."

 _How about a hug,_ Kaiba suggested before he could stop himself, and he received another panicked glare from Seth.  
He was already fooling her.  
Couldn't he get just one damn hug?!

She zoomed at him through the water and tackled him into a lung-crushing hug, her black braids floating in the water around them, and Kaiba pressed her tightly to his chest, wishing he could never let go, but…he had to.

She pulled away first and swam happily back to hold Seth's hand.

Her innocence and trust in him was heartbreaking.

"Okay, Princess. Ready for an adventure to see your daddy's kingdom?" Seth asked warmly, and Kaiba felt tears build annoyingly behind his lids as his lungs steadily screamed for air, but he held out, to keep up appearances.

"Come back soon, Daddy," she called over her shoulder, and she turned to chat happily with Seth.

 _Yep…_ Kaiba thought weakly, and he watched both of their glittering blue tails disappear in the distance before he kicked upwards through the water, desperate for air.

Bursting through the surface of the water, Kaiba coughed violently and hated how tears were annoyingly stuck to his lower lids.

Fuck, fuck…she was going to hate him so much for this when she found out they had tricked her.

His stomach churned with nausea and guilt as he swam steadily back to shore, feeling like the biggest villain on earth.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

ofokgilhfsekudjhdsukjkjhsdekhusde

seth and seto bonding time with adina! And a heartbreaking departure!

P.S. if anyone is wondering where the idea for this character came from, its here: (link to ygo wiki) princess adena

 **its the girl version of mokuba that kaiba made in the virtual world arc** :D (and i couldn't think of any other reason why she'd have purple eyes other than: it's kaiba's gay subconscious telling him to make him and Atem's lovechild in virtual reality :thumbsup:)


	49. Chapter 49

"I'M DEEPLY SORRY!"

The teacher from Adina's school bowed so low, her necklace nearly slid off from around her head.

Atem's entire court, including Joey and Tristan's pods of men, lined the walls of the royal hall, watching her apologize.

They had to hold the emergency meeting in the hall because they had to brief the army on the missing child as well, and everyone couldn't fit inside the throne room.

"If anything happens to her…anything—!" Solomon shook with anger as he turned purple in the face. "How could you let her hang in the back and then _swim…away?!_ By _herself?!_ Where would she have gone?! Or did someone take her?!"

"We've been over this, old man. _We don't know!_ " Shada hissed, his forehead wrinkling his tattoo so much, it looked strange.

"Nobody panic," Mahad said shakily. "I've sent our fastest messengers far and wide. It hasn't even been five human hours since she swam out of school without anyone seeing her."

"Atem…are you feeling any pain?" Mana whispered to him as the court continued to bicker. "If you feel pain, that means she's calling for you."

"I don't feel much of anything," Atem commented quietly, trying not to let the despair and guilt overwhelm him. Gods…what would Kaiba think if he knew this had happened while she was supposed to be under his care?  
Kaiba would sooner murder him than listen to reason about what had happened.  
It irked him more that he couldn't predict where she would've gone, because according to the Medic, he wasn't _'as bonded with her as he should've been_ '.

The only thing he kept thinking of was how Kaiba would feel, and what Kaiba would do…and what would his court think if she had somehow in fact…managed to swim up to Kaiba's shore without any help or direction.  
That would be impressive indeed.  
Her intellect definitely came from Kaiba.

"Atem? Thoughts?" Mahad asked in a booming voice, and Atem straightened up nervously, floundering. He hadn't been listening…

"He's distressed. Leave him alone!" Solomon came rising to his defense. " _Deploy everyone!_ Every corner of the ocean must be searched! Leave no creature, rock, or crevice unturned!"

"We can't just ' _deploy everyone'_ ," Shadi said angrily, balling his fists behind his back. "Our Hemisphere guards need to stay. Dwelling guardians need to stay. We are not sending everyone."

"Then send anyone who is willing to volunteer their time to look for her!" Solomon cried, sounding like he was on the brink of a meltdown. "The sun is setting on shore! Alert all the shore colonies!"

Atem palmed his face and shut his eyes tightly, taking a deep shuddering breath and willing himself to keep it together. Solomon's panic was not helping.  
Mana's frantic whispers and Isis cold glares were not helping.

Biting the inside of his cheek, he saw a flash of a vision that didn't belong to him.

In fact, he'd never seen anything like this before.  
It was dwellings.  
Beautiful, white-domed dwellings that sparkled in the setting sun. A stained-glass structure loomed over his head, and to his shock, Seth was pointing at it, speaking to him kindly, "Don't cry, Princess. Look, there's the library. We built it just for you…"

Atem's eyes shot open and he gripped Mana tightly, deciding it was best to say nothing for now.

The court was in an uproar, with Joey and Tristan's men raising their spears to argue with Shadi and Solomon about deploying in formation or…if they should invade nearby colonies without warning.

 _Mana, she's safe,_ Atem breathed, sending her a private thought, and her eyes widened with relief.

 _How do you know?_ Mana asked carefully, and their ears rang with more shouts and yells from the men in the courtroom.

 _I saw through her eyes. She swam all the way to Seth's colony_ , Atem said slowly, trying to swallow his own shock. _I know_ _he'll bring her back after spending some time with her._

"Well, he better do it fast, before we inadverdently…start…a… _war_ …over _a missing child_ ," Mana breathed through gritted teeth, and Atem nodded hastily in agreement.

Let everyone yell it out.  
It would be a sweeter triumph when she returned, saying she'd visited Seth all the way at the surface, and then his court would _have_ to let her visit outside the kingdom.

This would be good for her freedom, even if Seth was going to be punished for it.

* * *

Adina held onto Seth's hand, feeling so angry, it was painful to breathe.

A horrible pressure was building behind her ears, and she felt like exploding…because both Daddy and Uncle Seth had tricked her!  
She didn't care how pretty the library looked, or how big her bedroom was.  
It meant nothing if Daddy wasn't here to enjoy it too.

The only reason she didn't throw a screaming tantrum was because Uncle Seth reminded her that it would damage the golden chain in her hair if she accidentally grabbed at it too hard, and she didn't want to break the first present Daddy had ever given her.

"I'll give you a present?" Seth offered hopefully, and to his sinking disappointment, she glared at him tearfully and turned her nose in the air.

"What about some food? Are you hungry? You haven't eaten anything all day," Seth said worriedly, pulling her towards the dining hall. "What would your daddy say if you went home starving? Let's eat something okay?"

Adina blinked before she realized Seth was talking about her other daddy: Atem.

"Atem is called Father," Adina said coldly, letting Seth drag her weight through the water. "Seto is Daddy. There's a difference."

"I understand," Seth replied gently, not understanding at all. "Well, _I'm_ hungry, so we're going to eat. We swam a long way, so…here we are!"

Trying to keep up the cheerful façade, Seth ushered her through a set of glass doors and down a golden arched hallway leading into a spacious dining hall. Five glittering chandeliers strung with sets of diamond tears were hanging in a row from the ceiling, and Seth pointed up at them, his stomach churning with a mixture of sadness and admiration for Seto's ingenuity.

"Those are the tears from my mother, father, and the entire kingdom. They cried when they thought your daddy died on shore during his Service," Seth said, and to his relief, he saw the princess turn her head up to gaze at the magnificent chandeliers.

"Want to swim up for a closer look?" He asked kindly.

"No thanks," Adina replied plainly, pouting angrily. "I'm mad at you."

"Oh, I know," Seth said, nodding and leading her gently over to a plush seat and plopping her into it. "What do you like to eat? We can make anything you want."

"Air," Adina replied cheekily. "Air on Daddy's shore."

"Okay, one plate of air, coming up," Seth sighed, unable to hide his exasperation, and he lowered his head to stare at the dining table, racking his brain for a way to deal with this child.

She loved Seto so dearly…she wanted to be close to him, so….

"Ah, I know. How about you try _my favorite_ dish? I mean, _Daddy's favorite_ dish?" Seth smiled, wondering if his looks were enough to fool her momentarily. "We'll eat together…it'll taste good."

Adina narrowed her eyes at him shrewdly and crossed her arms, pouting.  
Fine. Only because it was Daddy's favorite.

Seth let his breath out in a careful sigh.  
Holy gods, this girl was a handful.  
If Seto's difficulty level was 100%, Adina's was 200%, because she was a child and prone to tantrums.  
It seemed only Seto could get her to do anything.

A plate of fish eggs was zoomed out of the kitchen by a small octopus and the Medic peeked into the dining hall, gesturing nervously for Seth to come out.

Seth shook his head tightly, frowning.  
He glanced at Adina, relieved to see her shoveling the food into her tiny mouth with giant handfuls, and he made a mental note to tell Seto that she didn't eat with utensils and would need to be taught.

"Your... _majesty,_ there is a… _non-urgent_ message for you," the Medic said, his eyes wide with fear and he tilted his head into the hallway as if to say, _'Urgent! Come now!'._

"Fine, I'll get it, but you…stay here," Seth said quietly, floating to the door and holding it open for himself. "Adina…be a good girl, for Daddy, okay? Mister Medic will sit with you while I get the message."

"'Kay!" She chirped, throwing Seth a loving smile before she stopped and frowned, reminding herself that Seth was not Daddy. It was a trick.  
Seth was being a tricky trickster like Mr. Shark in the story.  
Plus, Seth had long hair and looked nothing like Daddy.

Seth hurried down the hall and ran face-first into a purple octopus. He recoiled in disgust, peeling it off his face and glaring at it.

"THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!" The octopus shouted and Seth grabbed it by the head, muffling it to his chest while its tentacles flailed wildly.

"Be quiet! What is it? Who sent you?!" Seth growled, throwing a frantic look over his shoulder to see Adina and the Medic still eating peacefully together.  
Thank gods for Seto's triple-paned glass or whatever it was called.

The octopus wriggled out from under his arm, panting, "a royal hatchling from the Kingdom of Muran has gone missing. If you or someone you know has seen her, please send me back as fast as possible. The reward is eight-hundred emeralds, two-hundred rubies, two-hundred opals—"

"I'm family," Seth growled, his blood running hot with fury at the thought of Atem giving him money. "Don't want your reward. This is Seth. Send someone she knows to escort her, or if the journey is too long, she can stay the night in one of our resorts. She's already distressed, and if you tell her she's in trouble, she'll cry even more. Has no one ever taught her how to eat with shells or any kind of utensils? End message."

The octopus floated suspended in the air temporarily before he zoomed away at top speed, leaving a tiny cloud of ink floating in the clear hallway.

 _Stop polluting my water,_ Seth thought angrily, swatting the ink away from his face.

He turned to head back into the dining hall, his body heavy with exhaustion.  
He had a newfound respect for his own parents now.  
They had to deal with two twin children at the same time, and here, he could barely manage one.

 _I am never having children of my own_ , Seth thought viciously, pushing the glass doors aside and seeing Adina bolt out of her seat to dash at his face with her arm's outstretched.

"DADDY!" She shrieked, before she caught herself, skidded to a stop halfway, turned red in the face and slowly floated back to her seat. She folded her arms in a huff and slumped down into the chair, looking absolutely furious.

The Medic pressed a manicured hand to his mouth to suppress laughter, but his chest tightened with sadness.

This poor girl just wanted to spend time with her father.

* * *

Atem swam beside Mahad and sent him a private thought, _"Come with me."_ He floated into the nearest deserted hallway, away from the commotion in the main hall and hastily divulged what he knew.

"She's with Seth. I saw through her eyes," Atem confided, seeing Mahad relax, visibly relieved. "Don't send our warriors to invade neighboring colonies and disturb peace. She's safe. It's my fault for not knowing sooner."

"You must be close to her if you can see that," Mahad commented, resting a hand on Atem's shoulder and giving the king a reassuring pat. "Don't listen to what the Medic says. It seems you are bonded with her closely enough."

"Y-Yes…so it seems," Atem said awkwardly, feeling his ears burn with embarrassment. "I know everyone thinks we aren't close, and I can see how it appears that way."

"You don't owe anyone an explanation about the bond you share with her," Mahad said firmly, giving Atem a small smile before floating back to the commotion in the main hall.

Staring glumly at the wall, Atem tried not to feel guilty. He knew he could be closer to her, but her nosy questions about Kaiba made it really hard.

 _SILENCE!_ Mahad's voice boomed in his head, and Atem winced, admiring his protector's ability to project.

A quiet fell over the hall behind him, and Atem swam slowly through the palace back into his room, seeing a purple octopus zoom by him, squealing with excitement.

Ah, the good news of Adina at Seth's colony would reach everyone's ears soon.  
Time to take a nap.  
Because he was always… _so tired.  
_ Hopefully he would have a nice dream about Seto.

* * *

Adina yawned, and Seth caught this immediately.

"Bed," he said sternly, steering her towards the women's wing, and he stopped awkwardly at the entrance, realizing he didn't have any women he trusted enough on his staff to take care of her.

"Bwut I wanna sleep wif Daddy," Adina said, her words slurring mightily already. "I yim not tired."

"Alright, yes, you can do that," Seth said nervously, picking her up and carrying her towards his room. "You can sleep in my bedr—"

"No, I said _Daddy's bed_ , not yours!" She cried, prying her eyes open, and Seth panicked. She was forcing herself awake to throw a tantrum. Gods…this was why people had to always trick her into doing things, but as a result, it made her distrustful of everyone.

"Daddy's bed… _is_ my bed," Seth stammered, managing a shaky smile. "We've shared a bed and a room since we were little. He would always end up draping his fins across my face while we slept."

Not technically a lie…because it did happen often….

"Mfgfmse," the princess mumbled, resting her head gently on Seth's shoulder, staring sleepily up at him through half-lidded eyes. Fine. Maybe if she squinted, and then pretended _reeeaally hard,_ then Uncle Seth could _maybe l_ ook a _little bit_ like Daddy. Only a little.

Seth entered his room and felt the Medic hovering behind him at the door, holding a bottle of purified water, ready for her to drink.

He set Adina gently down on the bed and watched her curl obediently underneath the sheets, her motions heavy with sleep. Well, she had swum a very long way today…

"Is she weaned? Does she still drink fresh water?" The Medic whispered, floating into the room and leaning down to place a gentle kiss on the princess' forehead.

"No kisses… only Daddy can…kiss me…" She grumbled, cracking an eye open to see Mister Medic holding a bottle out to her.

"Want some yummy fresh water?" The Medic asked, and before he could finish his sentence, her chubby arm shot out to grab it from him, and she stuck the bottle in her mouth, sucking furiously on it while her large blue eyes stayed nailed to his face, glaring at him.

"Wh-Wh-…Well alright. Does it taste good?" The Medic kept the smile plastered on his face. "It is a little different because of the altitude—"

"Ah…! Done," she smacked her lips and handed the bottle to Seth, eyeing the Medic suspiciously. "Did you put sweet in it?"

"No, no sugar or anything. That's our type of water," the Medic said cheerfully, snatching the bottle from Seth's hand and hastily swimming out the door, eager to get away from the temperamental princess. "Good night!"

Seth watched the Medic go, and he gave the princess a nervous glance. Was he excused too…or?

"Night-Night Kiss." She demanded, closing her eyes and snuggling her head down on the pillow. "Now."

 _Incredible_ , Seth thought darkly, but he obliged, bending down to quickly press his lips against her soft cheek before he straightened up hastily and backed out of the room. He heard her sigh contentedly before he shut the door, and he sagged against the wall, exhausted.

The human metaphor for dealing with her was 'walking on eggshells.'

"You know," the medic said calmly, floating by the entrance of the hallway, giving Seth a fright. "She reminds me of you and Seto when you were both babies. You'd stare at us with these evil eyes while you sucked down the water, and then toss the empty bottle right back in our faces."

"I refuse to believe I've ever acted like that," Seth growled, moving away from the door carefully and swimming into the hallway for safety. "Don't talk so loudly. She could still be awake, listening to us."

The Medic gave him a kind smile, opening his mouth to say something else, but he was interrupted by a black octopus, darting into the hallway and making frantic gestures with its tentacles. It stiffened one into a sharp point and stood at attention before relaxing again and floating anxiously in front of their faces.

"You hired Stealthlapods to guard our Hemisphere for now?" The medic asked nervously, his eyebrows raising. "What is this? We're not in a war. These silent octopi disturb me greatly. I'm leaving."

"Quiet," Seth hissed, his heart pounding nervously in his chest. "It's saying there's an army headed this way. Is it Atem's men?"

"Well, since we are short on men who can actually fight, I'll grab a spear and float up and down this hallway for the princess," the Medic said quietly, giving Seth a grave nod. "Just in case it's _not_ Atem's men and another army is coming here for some reason. I can't imagine why…."

He swam away quickly towards the armory, and Seth stayed rooted to the spot, his blood running cold as he realized he _did_ know why other armies would want to come by to invade his newly built colony.

For tons of reasons.

To want to overrun it, and rule over it for the profits from luxurious resorts that were new, and well-designed. To capture or kill a future queen from the two largest colonies on this side of the equator while she was still an infant.

"We are in…deep trouble," Seth muttered, now wishing he could send some sort of SOS beacon to alert Kaiba. The princess was in more danger here than she was in Atem's colony.

The Kingdom of Muran was well-fortified, with an army of at least a hundred well-trained men.

Here? They were sitting ducks in a bejeweled palace with riches, waiting to be robbed.

The army approaching better be an entourage Atem had sent, otherwise…they were royally fucked.

"I'm back!" The medic whispered urgently, holding a rusty spear at his side. "Hurry. Keep us safe, Seth."

 _I'll try_ , Seth thought darkly, powering through the water silently but quickly, deciding to head up to the Hemisphere unarmed.  
He wanted to send an important message.  
This was a resort, and not a warzone anymore.

He floated to a halt, terrified when he saw rows and rows of mermen clad in full armor floating in formation over his head, blocking out the light from the moon as they swam by.

T-There were at least several hundred merpeople!

Pushing his fear aside, Seth swam upwards directly into the dark swarm of men, and they parted instantly to let him through peacefully.

Holding his breath, Seth saw a beautiful, slender merman with flowing green hair approach him through the throng of men and give him a cold, appraising look.

They floated to a stop in front of each other and bobbed up and down in the water, silently appraising one another.

"I am Master Dartz, and we are the Mighty Hunters of Kuril," he said softly, his long, magnificent hair suspended eerily around his sharp face.

Seth swallowed nervously, trying not to let the panic show on his face.  
Great.  
They were an army of ruthless hunters from the northern sea, not warriors.  
Somehow even worse.

"Can I offer you a dwelling to stay the night?" Seth said smoothly, doing his best to hide his shock and fear.

"That is very kind, but can you really house and feed all of us?" The man threw his head back and laughed softly, and deep, grumbling laughs were echoed through the army of men behind him, sending a shiver down Seth's spine.

"Currently, I can accommodate…50 people in single dwellings," Seth said smoothly, his inner salesman taking over. "Double that if your men are willing to share a room, but sunbathing is best enjoyed alone or with a mate."

"We're n _ot_ here for a va _ca_ tion," the man called Dartz said with a pretty smile, tossing his silky hair over his shoulder, and his foreign accent leaked strangely. "We are here to give our regards and blessings to the new prin _cess_. We hear she was borne from Helios, The Colony of Light, and we come bearing gifts. Do we have the correct location?"

Seth let his breath out slowly in a sigh of relief.

"Yes, this is Helios, and I am Prince Seth, the current overseer of this resort," Seth said stiffly, gesturing at the clumps of colorful, glassy dwellings beneath their fins.

"Good. Here is the largest stone we've found during this season," the man spoke so quietly, his voice was barely audible over the rustling of the armored men around them who were all passing something between them down the line.

A giant oval stone with a sparkling blue core was handed to him, and Seth accepted it readily, feeling it sag so much in his arms, he sank slightly in the water. His heart thundered in his chest as he lowered his head in silent thanks, and Dartz drummed his fingers against his slender jawline, giving Seth a slow up and down look.

"You are as handsome as they say you are, Prince Seth," the man said, biting back a yawn. "Well, we take our leave now. I would love to see the Princess in _all of_ her glory in a _beautiful procession_ …only when she is ready, of course."

He turned to leave with a swish of his hair, and Seth mustered up his courage to call after him, "Wait! Master…Dartz?"

"Yes, Prince?" The man didn't turn around to face him, but his tone was still light.

"As you know, my colony has just been rebuilt," Seth said quickly. "If you have…any men to spare, or know of any colony willing to send me men to serve in my army for her, the future Queen of Muran and Helios would—I would thank you…so much, I mean, she would—we would…really appreciate it."

Seth kicked himself for fumbling the end of his grand beggar's speech.

"I'll ask around," the man replied casually, and a helmet was handed to him by one of the men floating nearby. "Enjoy the moon tonight, Prince Seth."

Seth blinked and sank lower in the water with the weight of the stone in his arms, watching the men converge behind Dartz and swim off in perfect formation. Even their fins waved up and down through the water at the same time. Terrifying.

Letting the weight of the stone take him all the way down to the ocean floor, Seth hung his head and curled his fins against the soft, white sand, shaking all over with adrenaline. That had been the scariest wake-up call this century.

It reminded him that they badly needed an army, or they didn't stand a chance at all.

A spear rammed directly into the ground right by his elbow, and Seth yelped, shoving the heavy stone off his lap as he scrambled up to see who it was.

The barbaric mermen, Joey and Tristan were grinning at him from ear-to-ear, their fangs glinting in the soft moonlight.

"Eyyy Rich Boy…er, I mean, wu'ssup Seth," Tristan said, nodding and retracting his spear from the sand. "What's crackin—"

"Don't you _dare_ throw anything sharp at me again!" Seth snapped, his nerves wearing thin from all the frights he was getting. "Did you not see the army of Hunters floating above our heads?!"

"Wha? Hunters?! Where?" Joey cried excitedly, twisting himself oddly to gaze around. "Hey, nice place ya' got here. Got any grub? I'm tired from all that swimmin'."

Seth glared angrily at Joey too, unsure of how to put his frustration into words, and to his relief, Warrior Mahad came powering towards them at full speed, panting heavily while his brown hair floated around the space between them.

"Prince Seth…the princess…" Mahad gasped, shoving his spear into the sandy ground below and leaning against it for support. "You two…need to follow protocol!"

"Yes, protocol, I need men!" Seth said, directing this at Mahad. "I was so frightened in that one moment, thinking that an army from another colony was here to kill and slaughter us. We have no defenses. None at all. We are a _resort,_ not a warzone."

That ought to be the new motto of Helios.

"An ex-warzone, so you still need defenses," Tristan said callously, and Seth's cheeks reddened with fury.

"We are not a warzone, period! But we do have an infant princess who has the temperament of my genius twin brother, so she is the real problem!" Seth ranted, desperately needing to unload the stress of his eventful day. "If anything happened to her…I can't bear to think about it. Mahad, send a word out for me—for us. We need protection. If I fall, we all fall. I refuse to draft men. I will take volunteers."

Seth nodded firmly, proud of his beggar's speech the second time around.

"I would like to know why you didn't send me a message the instant you had her in your arms," Mahad said coldly, not so quick to forgive the Kaiba look-alike.

"I would like to know why you didn't send me a message the instant she hatched," Seth shot back readily, feeling spit gathering behind his teeth. "You want to keep going?"

There was a long, tense silence before Joey broke it, holding his arms over his head and yawning.

"Alright alright arightttt, I'm sleepy," the blond merman said, hefting his spear onto his other shoulder. "Are we crashing here for the night?"

"Yes," Mahad said, sneaking a glance at Seth. "Please show us your warrior dwellings."

"All dwellings are created equal, so there are no warrior dwellings," Seth pitched cleverly. "We are a resort, not a rest stop. That'll be three emeralds per head, and if you want breakfast, that's an extra opal."

"What!" Tristan cried. "You're charging an _opal_ for breakfast? What are you serving? Golden eels?! Dude, come on. We're tight! You're freakin' rich, you don't need our money!"

"Are you mistaking me for someone else?" Seth asked Tristan icily. "It's a quality breakfast, but fine. Since we are _'tight'_ , on money I assume, because I'm not familiar with warrior lingo, I'll accept three emeralds and three opals for all three of you. A package deal."

"That's my entire salary for the next three moons, but okay, geez," Joey shrugged, seemingly unfazed. "You're definitely not Seto Kaiba."

"Definitely not," Seth growled, turning around furiously to swim back to his chambers to tell the Medic to be at ease.

He could hear the three warriors grumbling about how he was being a miser, but he didn't care.

He needed to make it clear that this colony was a resort, and always would be, which meant that everything was _premium_ quality, _premium_ experience, and _everyone_ paid for the experience, _especially_ warriors and hunters.

His parent's mistakes in the past were letting warriors stay for free in exchange for their service.

That was what ultimately led to their demise and diminishing colony population.

It would not happen again.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

OUoUououou atem's family is freaking out about the missing kid while she is warmly bundled up at a resort! Hope she wont be in too much trouble when she goes home….


End file.
